


Borrowed Time

by morggy (formerlyhere)



Category: Southern Vampire Mysteries - Charlaine Harris, True Blood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Future Fic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-07 03:28:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8781329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/formerlyhere/pseuds/morggy
Summary: Sookie said goodbye to all things vampire fifty years ago and went ahead to have the normal life she’d always wanted. Eric Northman feels it's almost time to say goodbye and something doesn't feel right - he decides to return to America and see her again.Based upon a conversation between Sookie and Tara at the end of season 4, in which she tells Tara all she wanted was to sit with her grandkids on the porch.Originally posted on my wordpress blog.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a departure from True Blood’s canon – everything between seasons 1 and 4 goes, after that it’s all my own take. But I’m keeping the part where Pam turns Tara because I liked that part. It’s Eric and Sookie related, as everything I write.

**_New Orleans 2060_ **

The house was bigger than most houses around the block and it was one of the few properties surrounded by a wall, a solid rock wall, and an iron gate. Architecturally it was modern French – there was also a lot of greenery. Greenery and cobblestone.

The observer in the car across the street mused it would look particularly nice in the daylight. The observer in the car would never know unless she had pictures and camera footage.

The observer in the car was a vampire.

Molly took a sip of her Tru Blood O Neg and tapped her steering wheel to the rhythm of an old _Depeche Mode_ hit. Molly had really enjoyed the 1980s. She had almost adopted the surname _Ringwald_ after the Great Revelation – but her peers at the Authority had frowned at her mirth a bit too hard and she gave up. She had wanted to be taken seriously at the time.

She still wanted to be taken seriously today. She tried not to question what she was doing here too much. Obviously, the Viking had good reason to ask her to use her skills to track down an entire family of dead rednecks and their offspring. Even if he didn’t have a reason – she would still do it because he was the boss.

She got off the car, looking up and down the deserted street. She vamp sped past the gate, knowing the motion sensors would have detected her. By the time she was at the front door, she could hear children yelling inside, saying the computers captured another bat or something. Molly smirked and rang the doorbell. There was more squealing from the children.

Another two minutes passed in which she could hear a couple of adults shushing them and telling them to go upstairs and bathe. She tapped her foot patiently on the floor and when the door was finally opened, Molly perked up – her nostrils flaring immediately as the woman’s unusually sweet scent hit her.

“Yes?” the blonde woman inquired, safely from within her threshold as she held on to the door. “Can I help you?”

Molly cocked her head to the side as she examined the woman in front of her. She would be 47 years old. She wore faded jeans and a baggy grey jersey that was obviously her husband’s and her long blonde hair was in dire need of being introduced to a brush. Yet there was a glow to her that made her oddly attractive – and her scent, well her scent was pure sunshine. Molly needed a minute to compose herself.

“Are you Adele Stackhouse?” she asked once she’d gathered herself and kept her fangs in place.

The blonde woman blinked. “Stackhouse was my mother’s maiden name. I’m Adele Burton now. Who are you?” she cocked her head to the side and though her voice was polite the arch of her eyebrows told Molly that Mrs. Burton was aware of what she was.

“I’m Molly… Ringwald…” Molly blinked. “I am actually looking for your mother. I understand she doesn’t live around here anymore but I would hope you would tell me where to find her,” she smiled, her own impression of the famous Southern charm.

“Addy who is it?” A man walked into the foyer. “Oh… hello…”

Molly regarded him briefly. He was purely human, nothing supernatural about him. But she could tell both of them knew she was vampire.

“This is Molly Ringwald, she says she’s looking for my mother.” Adele Burton said, never removing her eyes from Molly, they still looked hard and searching.

“Oh?” the man watched Molly curiously. “I’m sorry you don’t look like you would be one of Mrs. Stackhouse’s old friends…” he smiled politely. “I’m Chap.”

“I’m sure you are…” Molly watched his hand as he stretched it towards her.

“Vampires don’t shake hands…” Adele muttered to him.

“Right!” Chap Burton retrieved his hand quickly. “I’m sorry. I forgot!”

_“Daaaddy! Rory won’t let me use her comb!_ ” A strident, girly voice came from the upstairs rooms.

Chap smiled politely before he excused himself and darted for the stairs to split what sounded like a bout of sibling rivalry.

“So how do you know my mother?” Adele Burton cocked her head to the side again, her hand still holding the door, the other clutching a dishrag that smelled like baby sick.

Molly blinked and considered her options, she tried to pull her into her glamour, but when the woman simply batted her eyes at her as though offended she smiled sheepishly and clasped her hands together.

“I don’t, personally!” she looked into the foyer. “Would you like to invite me in?”

“No, I would not…” Adele Burton kept staring her down. “No vampires in this house, nothing personal. We just have children.”

Delicious children, Molly would bet. If they smelled anything like their mother.

“That’s fine…” Molly smiled. “You can just tell me where she is and I’ll be on my way. She still lives, yes?”

“Yes… she still lives.” Adele sighed, leaning into the doorframe slowly. “Why are you looking for my mother if you don’t even know her?”

“My employer is looking for her. Eric Northman? I am sure you have heard of him, being from the south.”

Adele looked clearly surprised and her eyes roamed to the night behind Molly, half wondering if the vampire was lurking out there somewhere.

“I have heard of him. I have also heard he wasn’t in America anymore.” she pulled back from the doorframe. “You can tell Mr. Northman he can give up sitting down to reminisce with her if that is what he is looking to do. My mother has an advanced form of Alzheimer’s – she doesn’t recognize anyone – not even _me_ … She’s a resident at a clinic in Jackson. She doesn’t see any visitors that are not her family. No exceptions… good night Molly.”

With that, Adele Burton closed the door and Molly could hear her retreating steps.

“Shit… Southern manners my ass…”

 

Molly returned to her car and grabbed her phone before she stopped herself. She’d better do this right. She quickly accessed the internet and pulled the names of all mental facilities in Jackson, Mississippi. After a fifteen minute search she was fairly certain she had the right place and after a quick phone call she decided the best thing to do would be to go on a glamour fest. If she was quick enough, she would be back in time to report to Eric before it was time to go to ground.

°°°

Inside the Burtons’ house the noise of the children had finally died down. Adele was sitting on the step out back, staring into the lit swimming pool as the cicadas sung loudly. She was still clutching the dirty dishcloth – she was tired and sweaty and she knew Chap was running a bath for them both right now. She blinked as she heard him sliding the glass doors into the living room and stepping out to find her. She smiled when he touched her shoulder and squeezed. She sighed and forced herself to relax, pushing tears back into her tear ducts, so her husband wouldn’t see her cry.

“You alright, Addy?” Chap sat on the step next to her.

“Yep… I’m fine…” she grasped his hand and smiled when he kissed her temple.

“What did that vampire have to do with your mother?”

“Nothing…” Adele sighed. “She was just digging. It’s not the first time they’re digging. It doesn’t matter.”

“What if she goes after her?” Chap frowned.

“There’s nothing to find.” Adele paused, staring into the pool before she squeezed his hand again. “You should call the girls… I want you to look into putting up those wards you mentioned. I don’t want vampires this close to my kids ever again.”

Chap nodded and squeezed her hand back. “I’ll do it first thing tomorrow. Now let’s go, the bathtub’s filled up.” He helped her to her feet and he narrowed his eyes playfully at her. “You know sometimes I think you just married me because I’m part of a coven…”

Adele laughed with him and they went inside.

°°°

**_Cedar’s Home Sweet Home – Jackson_ **

Molly followed the hospital’s employee into a narrow corridor. She had been easy to glamour – she had had no choice as she wouldn’t have given her any information otherwise. There was _a_ Sookie Stackhouse with them and Molly very much doubted there could be many women with that name who fit the description. She was 77 years old, native of Bon Temps, Louisiana, sister to a Jason Stackhouse, deceased, wife to a Ryan Holm, deceased, and mother to Adele Burton, currently residing in New Orleans.

She had been brought to Cedar’s in 2033 which shocked her a little. Sookie Stackhouse had been in this facility for the last 27 years? Harsh! The husband was the one to bring her in. Molly guessed he had probably remarried and left her there to rot.

They reached the end of the corridor and walked into an ampler one, with several doors into smaller rooms with beds and, sometimes, some sort of medical apparel. Molly could only smell the chemicals used to clean the floors and walls, and the nicotine-charged scent of the young employee in front of her. It was amazing that to this day humans would still indulge in that thing. Not only it killed them, but it made them smell bad, and they could taste it in their blood – which was just unsavory.

They finally stopped before one door with a small window embedded into it. Molly stepped closer and peered inside. Blessed vampire sight. On a high bed lay an elderly woman, long white hair fanning across fluffy pillows. She was sound asleep.

“And she’s all wrong in the head?”

“She is one of our Alzheimer’s patients.” The employee said, eyes glazed and misty.

“Yeah…” Molly tried to see anything familiar about the woman but she had only seen pictures of her in her youth. “Must be her alright…” Molly thought of something. “Does her daughter visit her often?”

“On her birthday and a few holidays.”

“Are they close?”

“I wouldn’t say so. Her visits are very short.”

Molly snorted. “Figures… ”

“Excuse me? Margaret what is the meaning of this? Who’s this?”

Molly whipped around to see what looked like a night security guard, his hand on his taser as he regarded her warily.

“Hey…” Molly put her hands up to placate him.

“Who are you?”

Deciding she had enough for her report, Molly vamp sped past the dazed security guard and she couldn’t help but laugh thinking about the hard work it would be to bring his colleague back from her glamoured stare.

All in a night’s work.

°°°

**_Shreveport_ **

Molly found Warren, Northman’s new day man in the parking lot outside Fangtasia. It was past closing time so the only vehicles occupying the space belonged to the staff. She looked past him to the large building behind him. She had been to the club before, just after the Great Revelation, back when it had been only a small bar. It had been greatly improved upon since then, occupying a larger portion of the area. It was also currently run by Northman’s associates, not himself anymore. After the Viking left Louisiana, it was left with his progeny Pam De Beaufort – but she too had decided to move on not a decade later, taking her child with her.

Molly heard the Viking’s return was quite unexpected and it stirred something in the Southern States. Monarchs started prying and investigating and she knew if Northman wasn’t careful he would be ambushed one of these nights. A vampire as old as him in an area ran mostly by babies was considered a big threat nowadays. The current King of Louisiana had been around for a mere 20 years after a violent takeover. King Compton and a significant number of his underlings had met the true death. Molly knew the current staff of Fangtasia was nearly just as recent as many of its vampire employees had died trying to defend their King. She knew Pam’s progeny had made a brief return back then, as a representative to ensure the club and its staff’s fealty to the new regent.

The club was still a great tourist attraction and great source of income for the owners and the Kingdom. Molly knew being associated with it was good for her own survival, so she had jumped at the chance to work for the Viking.

“Hey Warren… awake already? Sun won’t come up for a while!” she called out to the human jovially.

The human looked up from his handheld computer and blinked several times until he recognized her.

“Ray…do you need something?” he asked.

Molly nodded at the club. “Is the boss in there?”

“Yes, but he should be leaving soon to go to ground.”

“I had better go in then.”

“I suppose so…” the human resumed whatever he had been doing before.

It was mostly just the human staff inside, so Molly grabbed herself another Tru Blood so she would resist the need to feed. She liked her donors fresh and healthy, and that was the last thing she would find in this place.

She found the only two remaining vampires on the top floor in the office. The manager and the Viking.

The manager was a vampire by the name Marie – she was local, turned back when she was a slave. She had spent many years living as far away from her place of enslavement as she could – but she returned and she had been happy to find herself in favor with Northman, whom she’d met years before the Revelation. She had been one of the few vampires in the area to survive the takeover – granting her admiration from the new King who instated her as Sheriff of the area under his rule.

They looked up, unsurprised, when she walked in shortly after knocking. Northman was behind the desk, perfectly comfortable sitting back in his chair. Marie was standing across from him, hands on her hips. She looked annoyed at the interruption. Northman looked back at Molly, a fleeting look of expectation before his usual stoic expression returned.

“Molly, good of you to join us!” he sat up, making to stand. “Are we done here, Marie?”

The other vampire nodded. “It’s nearly time to go to ground so I suppose so. How long are you planning to stay?”

“Not long,” the Viking said, his eyes on Molly as he closed a single button on his suit jacket. “I should hope.”

Molly just smiled noncommittally. She really couldn’t say. She had no idea what he would make of what she had for him. She would think whatever he wanted from the woman would be impossible to obtain since she might not even remember him.

They left Marie’s office and started going down the iron steps onto the second floor.

“What did you find?” he asked.

“I found her daughter!” Molly felt as he stiffened briefly beside her, but he recovered quickly and she continued. “She lives in New Orleans with the husband and three kids.” The Viking was silent beside her but she could feel a slight tension. “But Sookie…” she hesitated. “Well I found her too.”

Northman stopped walking and turned to her immediately. “Well?” he asked with annoyance.

Molly stood under his looming presence and she knew she was about to deliver bad news. “Well she’s alive but… well Eric, it’s not good.”

Northman swallowed but held her gaze silently. Molly sighed unnecessarily.

“She’s an Alzheimer patient at Cedar’s in Jackson. I saw her briefly. She looked healthy! But… she might not remember you at all…”

A small smirk curled his lips for a fleeting moment – Molly didn’t know why. He looked at the floor momentarily and nodded.

“What else?”

“Well… the girl is really her only child. According to the employee I glamoured she hardly ever visits. The husband died about ten years ago – he was living in California at the time.” When the Viking frowned she nodded. “I know… quite far huh? I’m sorry to say this but it seems like your friend has a really shitty family.”

Eric frowned. “Her brother died two years ago?”

Molly nodded in confirmation. “And he never visited her in the 27 years she’s been there.”

“That sounds very unlikely,” Eric said immediately.

Molly shrugged. “They said the only people to ever visit her were the husband and the daughter. The husband brought her in – visited with her regularly for the first year and then disappeared. The daughter still comes for scheduled visits and special occasions. She’s never even introduced her to her grandchildren. Not that it would matter if she did.”

Molly watched as the Viking’s eyes roamed around them with doubt, confusion and outrage. He then settled them in hers again. “Give me the address.”

She promptly reached for her phone in her pocket and pressed a button. Two seconds later, Eric removed his phone from his pocket as it beeped and he stared down at the address, nodding curtly.

°°°


	2. Chapter 2

 

**Jackson**

Being back in Mississippi after so many years was unexpected. Revenge brought him here once. What brought him here now he wasn’t sure. Bitterness, love, hate – or simply the cruelty of his heart. It wanted to see him relive the hurt he’d been able to stomp on for 50 years.

It hadn’t really been his idea to come here. Pam was to blame and, right now, he really wished he hadn’t listened to her. Did he really want to do this? To see her after all these years, old and dying, alone in a place like this? A place so unlike the Sookie he knew?

Even from a distance he could smell the sterile walls and floors of the hospital ward. He could also smell death and decay. There was a cemetery nearby. Would they bury her there when she died?

He clenched his jaw at the surge of emotion that took over him as he swallowed and flexed his hands – his eyes stung with the threat of unwelcome moisture.  _ Damn you, Pamela… _

He wanted to turn around and fly back. What was the point? What would he even say to her? She would probably not even know who he was. He laughed bitterly, once again, at the irony that she wouldn’t remember him. So many times had he wished Marnie would come back from her grave and curse him again – curse him with forgetting all about her and the devastation she brought with her.

_ This _ was why vampires couldn’t form attachments to humans. This was what they all strived to avoid. Pain from having to watch them die. They were food, like cows to a human. Slightly smarter than cows, he would have joked once. The Great Revelation changed many things – but to protect themselves from such attachments was still vital, even half a century into mainstreaming.

Again his eyes flitted to the cemetery – down the hill. The Home Sweet Home inhabitants would look out their windows and see their future and final home from a distance. Humans were truly sadistic to their elders.

What would he say to her?

_ You don’t need to talk to her. _ Pam’s voice rang in his ears.  _ You just need to see her once, before she dies. See what she has become so you can make peace with yourself that she is not what you remember so you can move the fuck on! _

He thought his progeny was wrong. He had moved on. He had hated her for a long time because it was the easiest emotion. Love, hate, always a thin line – no one knew that better than a vampire. No one held a grudge better either. But he had eventually let it go. Time was endless and all things fade in time. He’d let Sookie Stackhouse go a long time ago – regardless of what Pam and Tara believed.

He had tried hard not to keep tabs on her in the early years and had failed appallingly. He hadn’t wanted to know about her finding another man, marrying him, having his precious children. Living happily without him, away from him – not needing him at all.

When he heard about her eloping with that Veterinarian he had wanted to go to her – she had been in Texas at the time. He had wanted to go her and shake her senseless and kill the fool who dared touching what was his. It had taken everything he had not to embarrass himself by doing just that. After he heard she was pregnant, a couple of years later – it had been then he knew he had to stop.  _ This _ had been the why. It had been what she’d wanted. To get pregnant, to have children. He meant nothing to her now. It had been the final blow and that was when he had stopped spying.

He cursed the faint thread of their bond while it lasted. Fortunately it was long gone now. He could barely tell she was alive anymore, which was why he’d needed Molly.

He had returned to Europe not long after that. She wasn’t the reason that propelled him to leave, but she certainly was no reason to stay anymore. He’d gone back to the Old World where things were still much like they were before the Great Revelation. Pam stayed back with her progeny, Tara Thornton – who had been turned when she nearly died trying to defend Sookie from Debbie Pelt’s shotgun.

Making a child had been the best thing Pam had done and he was comforted knowing she had someone else to travel the world with now. They wouldn’t stay back for long either and not ten years later they joined him in Rome for a while.

He briefly contemplated making another child when he met an enthralling human in his homeland. But after a few months enjoying her company he realized she was not fit to be his child and he left again to continue his travels. He visited many of the lands he had been to with his Maker, looking for a new home. Eventually he settled in Great Britain, where he had been staying for the last fifteen years.

He had moved on – Pam had no right to insinuate he hadn’t.

_ Then fucking get over with this already. _

Eric started walking, using his enhanced senses to catalogue what awaited him. Two nurses at the front desk of the hospital ward, a male further down the hall – either a janitor or a security guard. The other heart beats indicated people in their sleep – they would be the residents. One of those heart beats belonged to her…

The younger, bespectacled nurse looked up sharply the moment he crossed their threshold. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in his impressive height and slightly intimidating figure. The other nurse, older, seemed to be rifling through some papers in the back, not paying any attention to him, behind a tempered glass shield. Eric leveled his gaze with the skittish nurse before him and presented her with his most disarming smile as he leaned over the counter.

“Why hello!” he smiled.

“Good evening sir…” the little nurse shifted under his penetrating, strangely flirtatious gaze. “How can I help you?” she grinned, her cheeks flushing.

Eric smirked slightly before he carried on. “I’m here to visit with my mother-in-law, Sookie Stackhouse?”

At this the older nurse lifted her head sharply behind the glass – it didn’t escape his notice, but he kept his eyes on the younger nurse as she typed away at her laptop.

“Ah yes, Mrs. Stackhouse-Holm…” the young nurse rolled her eyes upwards as she examined him more closely. “She doesn’t get many visitors; it’s sweet of you to come…”

“Yeah, so very sweet to come once after 27 years!” the older nurse stepped out from behind the glass shield, removing her glasses and spying Eric with narrowed eyes. “Mrs. Burton  _ always _ visits alone.” She nudged the younger nurse to the side. “Go take your break now, Suse. I’ll take care of this.”

Eric eyed the older nurse curiously as the younger one, Suse apparently, scuttled off sullenly. He eyed her name tag, it said  _ Prescott _ .

“So you’re Chapman Burton huh?” Nurse Prescott inquired as she checked something on the laptop. “Funny, you don’t look like a dentist.”

Eric gave her his best smile. “I assure you I know a lot about teeth.”

Nurse Prescott eyed him slowly before she glanced at her laptop again. Eric knew what she was doing – she was looking up Chapman Burton on the internet. But he’d made sure there were none. The Burtons were extremely private people and photographs were simply not available. After the disaster social media made out of people’s privacy, governments the world over had hurried to instate preservation protocols – citizens wishing to keep their families away from scrutiny could present their case to have whatever information on them erased from public channels. The Burtons had been one of those families.

“Did something happen to Mrs. Burton?” Nurse Prescott decided to ask once her search turned out empty. “She wasn’t scheduled to come today…”

“No, nothing has happened…” Eric watched the nurse carefully. “I was around for work and she asked me to come say hello and make sure she’s alright.”

The nurse’s nose twitched and she looked away nodding. “I see… well will you sign here for me….  _ Dr. Burton… _ ”

Eric signed her chart and then followed her down the corridor. The janitor looked up from his mop as they walked past them. They turned up on a darker corridor until they finally ended up in a small sitting room with couches and a Television.

“You wait here…” the nurse told him sharply.

Eric looked around the place with distaste. This was what she chose? To build a family that would leave her to this? Over him? When he would have given her everything, he would have given her immortality? She would never have been subject to this horrible disease and she wouldn’t have been abandoned.

His anger at her flared open like an old wound. He turned away from the ridiculous flowered upholstery and the badly kept plant pots and linoleum floors to stare out the window, which looked over a well manicured garden. He shouldn’t have come – this was ridiculous…

“Here he is, Sookie! Look! It’s Addy’s husband Chap!”

He turned as he heard the overly sweet voice of the younger nurse. She was bringing  _ her _ inside, in a wheelchair. His eyes dropped to her sitting form, staring up at him with a faraway smile and he immediately frowned, his chest felt suddenly heavier.

She was the right age. The right eye color, the right height and bone structure. The silvery white hair might very well have been blonde and thick and beautiful in her youth. But she didn’t even smell right…

Whoever this woman was – she was plainly human, and she was not Sookie.

°°°

**New Orleans**

Adele Burton quickly descended the steps of her porch, the car keys jingling in her hands – the excited voices of her children yelling their goodbyes enthusiastically as they stayed by the front door with the sitter. She tugged at the strap of her purse and patted its outer pouches to make sure her wallet and license were still in there. Just as she reached the door of her car she looked up at her still waving children. Rory and Jenny, still in their swimming things, were waving and smiling and bouncing on their feet. Adele smiled at them before her eyes trailed up to rest on her toddler and only boy Peter. He was distracted by Cynthia’s ruffled collar and wasn’t looking at her at all.

“Don’t worry about a thing Addy!” Cynthia called after her. “I got them!”

Adele nodded and waved at her children one last time before she slid into the driver’s seat and pulled the car out of park. She didn’t like leaving them after sundown, but the house was safe and Cynthia was trustworthy.

She quickly checked her reflection on the rearview mirror as she drove past her gate. She looked tired like always. She ran her fingers through her hair and tried not to notice how frizzy it felt. She was still wearing the skirt-suit she’d worn to work – her lab coat lay forgotten on her back seat and she suddenly remembered she had to pick up her dry cleaning. She shook her head as she checked the time – it would have to wait until tomorrow.

She tried to cut traffic, all the while trying to get Chap to pick up the damn phone. But it kept going to voicemail. It hadn’t been an hour they had spoken – an hour he had asked her to pick him up. What was he doing after hours that he couldn’t pick up the phone?

It was another half hour before she finally pulled up in front of his office. Most of the lights were off, and all the other small offices and stores on the street were closed. Usually Chap would be home by now and the dental clinic would have been closed. But he was feeling sick and couldn’t drive and all his partners had left for the evening.

Adele spied the top floor light on where her husband’s dental office would be. She sighed as she strode towards the front door. She could see Chap’s car parked not far down the street. She vaguely wondered if it was safe to leave his car there overnight as she reached for the spare keys she had for his clinic. She found them, stuck the right one into the lock and turned.

The main floor reception was empty and all lights except the ones in the aquarium were off. Adele’s eyes swept across the place, finding it slightly creepy in the dark. She spied the staircase leading up to the doctors’ offices and locked the door behind her before she strode towards it and then climbed up the stairs as quickly as her skirt and shoes would allow her.

“Chap? Why didn’t you pick up your phone? What happened? I’ve been trying to…” Adele stormed into her husband’s dental office in full chastising mode until her voice died in her throat.

Her eyes had gone automatically towards his desk, where he sat, quietly staring forward. The light of the sole lamp on his desk illuminated his face strangely. His eyes were glazed over and distant – and he didn’t acknowledge her entrance. But it had been the third presence in the room that robbed her of breath and speech.

There behind her husband’s chair was a towering, intimidating figure. She had only ever seen pictures of him online, but Addy knew instantly who he was.

He stood tall and immobile, a dark coat over a crisp white shirt against his pale skin, and his penetrating icy-blue eyes were infinitely more terrifying in person. Even though his stance wasn’t threatening Addy felt compelled to make no sudden movements.

He was staring right back at her – both in a silent staring match while Chapman Burton sat between them quietly, unseeing, unknowing – trapped in a glamoured state.

Eric couldn’t help but look for traces of her in the woman in front of him. The scent was the first thing that struck him. It was there, sweet, inviting, warm – yet somehow it lacked something – like it wasn’t quite what he remembered. Physically there were a few similarities – the color of her hair, the shape of her mouth, the elegant slender neck, the arch of her eyebrows. But her eyes were blue, not brown, her nose longer, thinner, she seemed a bit taller. Traits of someone else mixed with Sookie’s. The other man – the one she chose over him.

It was of the many reasons Eric had never wanted to meet her. Yet here he was. The things Sookie pushed him to, even after all this time, were aggravating.

Adele took a cautious step further into the room, her eyes quickly flitting to her husband and back.

“What did you do to him?” she demanded in a tremulous voice.

Her voice sounded like hers too…

“He’s been merely glamoured. He’s fine,” he assured her. “I’m…”

“I know who you are,” she cut him. “Release him!” she nodded at her husband between them.

Eric spared the human between them a glance. “Soon.”

“ _ Now _ !” Adele demanded.

The vampire’s lips pulled into a smirk that tugged at her like a taunt. She took another step forward, ready to get in his face when he surprised her saying with something akin to admiration. “Well you sure are her daughter.”

Adele balked, her hands flexing at her sides as she breathed slowly through her nose, facing the vampire in front of her with a mix of determination and caution. She glanced at her husband once again, batting her eyes quickly as she tried to assess her situation. He didn’t seem hurt – she knew he was merely glamoured – but she didn’t like seeing him like this.

“Just… ask whatever you want to ask and leave us alone please. I thought I’d given your spy enough two nights ago.”

Eric shook his head slowly from side to side while raising an eyebrow at the insolent girl in front of him. “What you gave her were lies. Did you really think I wouldn’t know it wasn’t her when I saw her?”

This appeared to have surprised her as her stiff posture faltered for a moment and she blinked under the vampire’s steady gaze. “You… you actually went to see her…” when the vampire simply continued to stare at her she shook her head with honest bewilderment. “I never thought you would…”

It was Eric’s turn to show surprise – though he was more adeptly contained.

“You didn’t think I would go to her after having gone through the trouble of finding her?”

Adele Burton shrugged honestly. “You never did before that I know of.”

Eric narrowed his eyes. “Where is she?”

Adele shook her head. “I’m not going to tell you.”

“I glamoured Nurse Prescott last night,” Eric announced, which got a reaction from her. She swallowed audibly. He smirked as he started walking towards the window. “Interesting little story…” Adele followed him with her eyes, quickly glancing at Chapman before she slowly turned to keep the vampire within her sight. “The woman living in that Home under your mother’s name is actually  _ her _ mother. Nice of you to pay for an old tutor’s treatment…” he turned back to her and watched as she visibly sagged. “But it seems quite unnecessary to do so pretending she is someone else doesn’t it?”

Adele closed her eyes and took a deep steadying breath. “You know she never thought you’d come.” She chose to change the subject.

It worked. Eric’s expression shifted, his eyes flickered for a moment, his lips lost their smug up tilt.

“So you see this wasn’t a ruse to fool  _ you _ …” she continued. “We just never counted on you suddenly taking an interest in her at this point.”

“Yet here I am…” Eric recovered. “Where is she?”

Adele shook her head again. “Mr. Northman I can’t help you. Whether you get to see her again is not up to me. I’ll let her know you came by when I see her and she’ll look for you if she wants to. That is all I can and will do for you. So please release my husband from your glamour so that I can take him home.”

Eric stalked towards her in a way that would have intimidated anyone, but this was Sookie’s daughter and she held her ground and his blistering gaze as he towered above her.

“She would know I wish her no harm. You will tell her I want to see her and soon. I don’t have time for games and I don’t care who you’re hiding her from. She will see me.”  _ Before she fucking dies _ . “I’ll be around, Mrs. Burton… don’t take too long or I’ll come knocking again.”

Adele never even blinked and then suddenly he was gone in a gust of wind and a blur and she batted the stinging tears out of her eyes, staring at the door where he disappeared through. She sighed and looked down at Chap, just as he started coming back – as if waking up from deep sleep. He looked up at her, completely lost.

“Addy..?”

°°°

**Shreveport**

Molly typed away at the laptop in front of her ignoring the irritated looks she was receiving from the waiting staff in the back between storage and the main floor of the club. She’d rather be in a separate room herself but the offices were occupied. She’d spent hours trying to dig more about Sookie Stackhouse after the Home Sweet Home fiasco.

She shook her head irritably, mentally chastising herself for not having been more thorough. She should have gone into the bedroom, the minute she was hit with a simple human scent she would have known there was something wrong. After Eric’s glamour of the nurse she started looking into her mother’s previous life as Nancy Prescott.

It turned out Adele had been homeschooled – and Nancy had been one of her tutors. Somewhere around the time Adele was 19, she was replaced. Nancy Prescott disappeared from public records. Molly guessed it was then she was diagnosed and moved to Jackson. But why were they saying she was Sookie? Where had the real Sookie gone to?

She couldn’t be dead. Eric was certain she still lived because of what was left of his bond with her. He’d admitted to it being weak and unreliable, but he seemed certain if she had expired he would have been able to tell so. Molly wouldn’t know – she had never given her blood to a human.

So at some point, around the time Sookie Stackhouse was 50, she disappeared and Ryan Holm moved to California. Why? She had just turned up something interesting in her search when the whooshing sound of an arrival distracted her. She looked up and Eric was in the room with her.

He looked irritated and tense as he stalked past two fidgety human waitresses on his way to her.

“So uh… how was your interview?” Molly asked uncertainly.

“Not very satisfactory,” Eric growled. “No real answers.”

“Didn’t the husband cough up anything?” Molly frowned.

“He knows very little. He’s never even met her.” Eric started pacing in front of her.

“Well…” Molly looked at her screen. “He did meet Adele only 15 years ago, Sookie was already… hospitalized, reportedly.”

“Did you know he was a witch?” Eric questioned with a sneer.

Molly gaped a little. “Uhm…”

The Viking shook his head and resumed his pacing. Molly fumbled with her keys, bringing up her most recent search again.

“I did find something about Ryan Holm pertaining to the time he spent in California…” she tried to produce something positive to cover for another small flaw in her system. “He never remarried and he kept changing addresses until he died – a total of 7 times… 7 times in seventeen years, Eric! That man was hiding something. His records say he died of lung cancer in his house – he was sick for 8 of those 17 years – during those eight years he lived in Los Angeles. Mrs. Burton was there for six months before he died.”

Eric listened to the whole thing wondering why they were talking about  _ him _ . He didn’t care about  _ him _ .

“Where are you getting this information from?”

“I have someone in L.A. helping me. He’s just telling me Holm was known to have a live in nurse in those eight years. The neighbors called her Michelle. Maybe we can track her?” Molly looked up at him hopefully.

Eric looked pensive for a moment – he was wondering what the point of this was. Adele Burton had told him she would tell Sookie he was looking for her. He should just wait a couple days and see what would happen. If she decided she didn’t want to see him, he’d have to make her see him, wherever the fuck she was.

_ Why… again? _

Why was he doing this to himself?

Eric nodded absently at last. “Do it.” He pushed away from the counter he’d been leaning on and started walking away.

Molly watched his retreat and swallowed with relief.

°°°

**New Orleans**

Adele Burton looked out the window of her daughters’ bedroom, lost in thought while Rory and Jenny laughed and bounced on their twin beds, tossing pillows and plush toys at one another, wreaking havoc that went completely unnoticed by their mother. She was afraid. She didn’t know why she was afraid but she was. She couldn’t help but peer down the dark street and look for them - eyes, and fangs. She hoped it was only the one vampire – she hoped he wouldn’t take an interest in her little family. She’d worked too hard to evade his kind.

“Hey, hey! Simmer down demon spawn!”

Adele turned away from the window as her girls squealed and attacked their father as he came into the room. She smiled as he held them while they dangled off his neck in fits of giggles.

“Time for bed girls…” Adele reminded them.

“Nooo!”

“Yeees…” Chap peeled his children off his neck slowly while they pouted. “Come on, tomorrow’s a school day!”

“Noooo!”

Adele laughed as both girls made it very hard for their father to get them into bed. She moved ahead to help him and together they finally got them beneath their covers.

“Daddy are you going to read us a story?” Rory asked hopefully while Adele tucked her in.

“What shall we read tonight?” Chap asked.

“The Fairy Princess!” the girls said in unison before they burst into another fit of giggles.

Chap and Adele exchanged a look and a shrug. Adele kissed each girl, told them she loved them and with a  _ good luck _ pat to her husband’s back she padded out of the bedroom, pulling the door until it was partially closed.

She walked further down the corridor and grabbed the empty hamper at the top of the stairs. She moved into the bathroom and put the hamper in its place. She saw the mess the girls made around the bathtub and sighed. She shook her head to herself and walked out, switching the light off.

“Oh Cynthia…” she muttered.

Cynthia was great with the children, but she was even worse at controlling them than their parents were. If anything she indulged them too much.

Adele looked down the corridor, noticing the nursery door ajar. Pale light came from inside. She wondered if Chap had forgotten the night light on again. She padded across the corridor and pushed the door inside silently. Then she paused and leaned against the doorframe with a sigh. She smiled at the figure standing next to Peter’s crib.

“Hi Mom…”

°°°


	3. Chapter 3

**Shreveport**

Outside Fangtasia, close to dawn, Molly’s car was one of the few lingering around in the parking lot. She was currently leaning against it, her back to the building, her eyes focused on her phone. She was making her last arrangements for sundown and then she’d go to ground. The wheezing sound of a fast approaching vampire merely registered when she lifted her eyes to see a pair of black boots stepping in front of her.

“Are you Molly?”

She looked up at the black female vampire in front of her, clad in a dark green coat that smelled like airplane – her long, ebony hair in long straight tresses falling across her shoulders. Her scent was familiar and Molly immediately straightened herself up, knowing she was dealing with one of Northman’s family.

“Who’s asking?” she asked airily.

“I’m Tara Thornton,” said the beautiful black woman, her hands still in her pockets. “I’m looking for Eric – I’m told you have been working for him.”

Molly nodded, pushing away from her car and stowing her phone away. “You heard it right. Eric might still be in there,” she nodded at the building over her shoulder.

Tara’s eyes moved to the club momentarily before they focused on Molly again. “Did you find her yet?”

Molly remembered something about how Tara’s turning had had something to do with Sookie Stackhouse and she shifted slightly as she thought about her answer.

“Working on it…”

“She alive?” Tara cocked an eyebrow.

“Well Eric says she is… blood doesn’t lie right? Besides, her daughter confirmed she still lives.”

Something akin to emotion flitted past the vampire’s eyes for the briefest of moments, before she schooled her features again.

“A daughter?”

“Yep! And grandchildren – three of them. An only daughter though.”

Tara Thornton’s eyes dropped to the floor then and she seemed to sigh as her shoulders heaved slightly. Molly watched her curiously and then her eyes were back in hers again.

“Jason?”

“Dead.”

Molly watched as the other vampire seemed to process that – emotion brimming somewhere in the back of her eyes. Finally she nodded and started walking towards the backdoor. Molly wondered if she should be expecting Pam back anytime soon.

She’d better find Sookie soon. She quickly grabbed her phone again and added a note to her last email, promising a generous bonus for this live-in nurse of Ryan Holm’s.

 

°°°

 

Tara found him in the Sheriff’s office – the building had been emptied and he had been staring into space motionlessly, for a long time, it was Tara’s guess. It wasn’t unusual to catch the Viking on downtime anymore. Not in the last few years. Pam had deduced it had something to do with the thinning and near-extinguishing of the bond.

Tara was happy she had never bonded with Sookie in that way. She had made the mistake of giving Lafayette her blood, and she’d been able to feel the precise moment his heart stopped beating, even from across the god damned ocean. She hadn’t fed for a whole week, and Pam’d had to command her to. He’d been sick for a whole year – but he’d forbidden her to come see him. He made her promise she wouldn’t – that she would remember him as the  _ gorgeous motherfucker she knew and envied _ .

The heart breaking thing about Lafayette dying wasn’t what she had once feared when she was young and human. He hadn’t died poor and alone. Lafayette’d had a life partner. A wonderful man by the name Lafoot. They had opened a Cajun restaurant in New Orleans –  _ Lala Lafoot _ . Tara had snorted when she heard. They did well. Lafayette had died neither poor nor alone. But he’d left Tara – and she’d felt alone.

Even when her mother had died she hadn’t felt so empty. For the first time in years she had cursed being vampire – cursed she’d never join him wherever he was. Sometimes she wondered if it felt that terrible because she’d felt him as a piece of her.

So she was glad she didn’t have a bond with Sookie. If losing Lafayette had been that painful, she didn’t want to know what feeling her best friend die would be like.

So she looked at Eric’s motionless form with understanding sympathy. When he finally batted his eyes, moving only a fraction, it was the first sign he’d known she was there.

“I can feel you there… pitying me,” he drawled.

Tara snorted from the door. “Then stop looking so pitiful.”

Eric rolled his head around until he was looking at her, a smirk on his lips to match hers.

“Well I didn’t think you’d actually come.”

“Pam,” was Tara’s only reply.

Eric smiled fondly at the thought of his progeny.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked him sincerely. “She won’t be what you remember. She’ll look frail and old – like death comes calling soon.”

The smirk died on his lips, as he thought of her imminent death. “I’m sure.”

“I didn’t come to see her.” Tara said.

“No, you came to watch me on your Maker’s orders. She’s afraid I’ll do something silly… like turning a 77 year old woman.”

“So what’s stopping you?” Tara moved to stand in the middle of the room, in front of the desk. “You’ve been here a week.”

“Sookie doesn’t want to be found.”

Tara wasn’t surprised. Lafayette had not heard from Sookie in years, last time they spoke. Last he knew she was living in New Orleans with her husband and daughter – it was like she avoided not just vampires, but anyone from her past. He said she wrote to him, but that was it.

Eric filled her in about Molly’s investigations and then they made arrangements to go to ground. She had to admit the temptation to visit Sookie’s daughter was increased, especially when he described how she had stood up to him – like her Mom used to…

She knew Pam had not only sent her here for Eric. She’d sent her for herself – but she wasn’t convinced seeing her childhood friend, her best friend, after so many years – after she’d turned away from her in anger and unforgiving hate would be right. Not because of Sookie – no. She was certain Sookie would be happy to see her – grateful even. But Tara wasn’t sure she could deal with her own guilt for having abandoned the best friend who’d given her a second chance at life.

She was dragged out of her bitter memories as she and Eric made their way down the stairs to go to the safe rooms underground and the sound of banging doors ripped through the silence inside the club. Both her and Eric stopped and stared as Molly came to a halt in front of them. Her eyes wide, she carried a sheet of paper.

“What are you still doing here? The sun is rising,” Eric said with annoyance.

“ _ This _ couldn’t wait…” Molly said. “I was making some arrangements with my contact in California for today. He got me  _ this _ . This is a picture of Ryan Holm and his live in nurse Michelle outside his house in L.A. – you’ll want to see this. I had it printed because the phone screen was too small,” she handed him the sheet of photographic paper.

Eric held it up in his hand – first registering the man in the wheelchair on a lawn somewhere. He was at the forefront of the picture and he couldn’t help but stare at the man who’d had the joy he was refused. Then his eyes swept the rest of the picture and caught the nurse in the background, walking towards the old man carrying a tray. There was not a doubt in his mind – that was Sookie Stackhouse.

“When was this picture taken?” Eric asked – his voice hoarse and charged with an unknown emotion.

“Two weeks before he died, ten years ago,” Molly said. “It was retrieved from a personal photo archive belonging to Adele Burton. This was when she was visiting. She likely took this picture herself.”

“That’s impossible…” Tara muttered.

It was impossible because the Sookie Stackhouse in the picture was no 77 year old woman. She was as young as they remembered her.

 

°°°

 

**New Orleans**

Chap paused by the sliding glass doors as he saw them outside together. The girls running around the swimming pool waving their bubble makers behind them. Then Addy and… Sookie on the stone step watching over them.

He swallowed thickly as his son gurgled soundly in his arms, trying to get his father’s attention.

To hear about something as incredible for years and then to actually witness it were very different things. He’d known about Sookie for years, and he’d never doubted it. But he’d never actually met her – and to see the same young face he saw in Addy’s childhood pictures… well… it was… different.

The children took it all in stride – but then they always had. This wasn’t their first time with Gran. His daughters were surprisingly good at keeping family secrets. Perhaps because they’d been born into secrecy.

The stories he’d heard had always made him very curious about his mother in law. But for all she’d been through it astounded him how happy a person she looked. She was smiling and giggling with his girls, and teaching them how to make larger bubbles before they ran back to the pool.

Adele caught him watching them as she looked over her shoulder at him, and he smiled back sheepishly. Sookie looked over her shoulder as well and waved at both him and Peter. Flustered about being caught, Chap waved back before retreating back to the kitchen, to finish feeding his son.

 

“How is he taking everything?” Sookie asked Adele outside.

“He’s fine. He’s just a bit struck,” Adele chuckled.

Sookie smiled apologetically. “I wouldn’t have come unannounced if it weren’t for Cynthia’s warning.”

“Ah yes… Cynthia…” Adele nodded slowly. “My fairy godmother huh?” she lifted her eyebrow.

“Are you mad?”

“You could have told me that’s what she was… Or Cynthia could have told me.”

“We weren’t sure you would have been welcoming to the idea…” Sookie admitted.

“Well that’s very high handed of you!” Adele pointed out.

Sookie smiled a strange smile, one Adele couldn’t interpret – but before she could question her, her mother nodded.

“Yes, we tend to be when we have loved ones to protect.” Sookie looked pointedly at the girls. “As you well know.”

Adele’s expression softened. “And that’s why you’ve come.”

“And that’s why I’ve come…” Sookie nodded. “You don’t need to fear Eric. He wouldn’t hurt any of us.”

“How can you be so sure? It’s been 50 years, in those 50 years he’s never… not even when that maniac…” Adele shook her head. “I just don’t know that you should trust him now because you trusted him once.”

Sookie shook her head confidently. “He’s not like that.”

Adele sighed. “Then why now? Why would he come now?”

Sookie looked away thoughtfully, turning her eyes to watch her granddaughters who had abandoned their bubbles to sit on the edge of the pool and wet their little feet in the water. They sat real close together and seemed to be whispering secrets at each other.

“I would have to ask him.”

Adele looked quietly at Sookie’s profile for a moment. “So you’re going to see him?”

Sookie looked back at her daughter with a pointed look – Adele sighed.

“He won’t stop otherwise,” Sookie said. “I don’t want to bring problems into your life. You’ve worked so hard to protect them.”

“You’re part of this family,” Adele reminded her.

“I will be safer with Eric than I would have been with anyone else,” Sookie promised her.

Adele sighed with resignation. “Do you even know where to find him?”

“Oh yes… I will find him before he finds me,” Sookie smiled confidently.

“How will he react when he sees you like this?” Adele wondered.

“I will know tonight.”

 

°°°

 

**Shreveport**

Fangtasia on a Friday night was always a different experience. Through the years the club had built its reputation as the best vampire club in the country. Throngs of tourists would line up five nights a week to get a taste of the fantasy. Vampires inside were real but they were also on a short leash so humans could be both frightened and safe. There were vampires dancing for humans, humans dancing for vampires and all sorts of fang play that did not end in biting.

The Viking’s throne still held its place of honor in the house, upon the dais – but it hadn’t been sat on for nearly 50 years. It became a local relic and pride of Fangtasia.

Rumors of Eric Northman’s return had reached even human ears and on this particular Friday night the club was filled to its full capacity – and there were still people outside waiting in line.

Eric was irritated. He hadn’t come to entertain anyone – he had come on personal business. Yet, he was forced to comply and attend this evening, most especially because it wasn’t just the humans who wanted to see him. But the King had sent a couple of his envoys to see what he was up to. He had been expecting this.

But not tonight. Tonight of all nights he wanted nothing more than to find her and demand an explanation. He hated that picture – he’d stared at it for hours and it yielded him no answers. He had never gone to ground and had to put up with the exhaustion and the bleeds – uselessly, pointlessly – for no matter how long he stared at the Sookie Stackhouse on that photo he still wouldn’t have an answer.

She hadn’t aged – she was still young and beautiful. It made no sense unless she’d spent the larger portion of these 50 years in the other realm. But he knew she hadn’t. She’d had a family, the family she wanted so dearly – the family she wanted even more than she wanted him. He’d been able to feel her through the years – she was always there. Even after he’d stopped feeling her emotions (which had been merciful) he could still feel her there. Lately the bond had started to fade – which he assumed were part the natural progression of the blood magic and part the fact she was dying. But he knew now her dying had nothing to do with it.

He wanted answers. He wanted to know why she had led him to believe they couldn’t be together – that her aging would make it impossible – when that was not what had happened. He still remembered their fights. She refused to discuss the possibility of him turning her. He’d called her a hypocrite for making that decision for Tara but asking him to watch her die. For months he tried to hold on to her, until she finally decided to end it for them both. She’d dared to seek him out with tears in her eyes and try to convince him she was pained to do it. He told her she wouldn’t leave him if she truly didn’t want to. It was then she said it, the thing she wanted that he could never give her. She wanted to be a mother. He couldn’t win.

He was confused – he was angry. Why did she lie to him? Most importantly why did he fucking care? Why 50 years later he still couldn’t let go of this woman? He wanted to blame the bond. Maybe if he had been able to extinguish it long ago he wouldn’t be standing here now, like a fool, dealing with the King’s lackeys to assure them his presence had nothing to do with any take overs. It had everything to do with a bothersome, lying, cheating, cruel ex lover of his.

He wished Tara had stayed, so putting up with these goons wouldn’t be so boring. But she’d wanted to go to New Orleans. He knew where she was going. She was going to go looking for Sookie’s daughter. She didn’t have to tell him so, but he knew.

But here he was, standing by the crowded bar. The two vampires sitting on stools in front of him were done asking their questions, and were now trying to make idle chat to see what else they could gauge from him. They’d praised his talent for recruiting, saying Marie doubled the income of the club which also increased royal taxes. They praised her as a Sheriff, all the while crediting him for his great find. The human girl they’d offered him as entertainment was standing next to him, doing her best to entice him, arching her neck whenever he looked her way. It was all very dull. It only added to his irritation.

Marie soon joined, and being the cunning business woman she was she made the best of the situation. The humans had long given up trying to get closer for a picture of the Viking, as several other vampires, who’d come to escort the royal envoys kept them at bay. Photographs were forbidden unless they were taken by one of the professional photographers working for the club.

So Eric just stared ahead, not really facing them but looking through their visitors. His ears received everything that was being said but he didn’t bother participating.

And that’s when he felt it. The latent pulse of the dying bond suddenly sparked to life. It was nothing like it had once been but there was a definite change – it felt as though he could suddenly feel a limb that had been chopped off.

She was close.

He ignored his companions as he turned around, his eyes scanning the crowd behind him. The noise was too much, the mixed scents of sweaty humans and cold vampires was too much. All he wanted was to find  _ her _ . For the first time in years he cursed the weakness of their bond. Had it been strong he’d find her in a second.

He started to move, his eyes always scanning the crowd, his nostrils flaring in search of her scent. Every single other being in this place currently annoyed him – he wanted them gone. As he parted through the crowd, he had to evade the adoring, foolish humans trying to get his attention. He ignored everyone. He knew she was here – he just couldn’t tell where exactly.

Then he saw her – just as she broke past a clutter of rowdy youths. There she was – pure light in his den of darkness.  _ Déjà vu… _ he thought cynically.

She parted through the crowd almost effortlessly, aiming her body this way and that way to avoid hitting anyone. She looked like a vision in a cream colored dress that clung to her perfect little figure, the hem of the skirt swishing just below her knees as she moved – there was a slight glow to her golden skin. Sookie had always glowed, but it was definitely sharper now. Her thick, corn-colored hair was longer, just brushing her lower back – her dark chocolate eyes surveyed the club calmly and fearlessly as always. This was Sookie, always bold, always reckless.

Eric fought the smile that threatened to form into his lips. He swallowed and started walking purposefully forward – she was going the wrong way. Fortunately the crowds parted for him now, as though they could sense his urgency. His eyes never left the back of her head as he followed her. He saw when she stopped to talk to the female vampire at the foot of the staircase that led to the second floor. He growled as he saw the vampire’s eyes trailing over her body, her fangs in plain sight, and her nostrils flaring in the attempt to scent her sweet blood. He heard her voice clearly as he approached.

“Could you tell me where I can find Eric Northman?”

The female vampire’s eyes returned to Sookie’s face, still glazed with blood lust. But she seemed to smirk at her request – she was about to deny her, he knew. No humans were allowed to come looking for him. But then she caught his eyes over Sookie’s shoulder and froze under his blazing glare.

He felt as the faint thread of the bond shuddered, and he knew she’d sensed him there. His eyes returned to her just as she looked over her shoulder. Brown on blue and he was rooted to his spot like a statue.

She turned slowly, cautiously, even as a small smile spread onto rosy, glossy lips. He hated that all he wanted to do was to pull her into him and smell her. Emotions battled within him, all of them unwelcome.

It was Sookie who closed the remaining distance between them – but her steps were measured now, careful, not as reckless as before, her large doe eyes searched his. When she was standing right in front of him so he had to slant his neck, her smile faltered a little, something akin to sadness dampened it, and when it returned it was slightly bitter.

“I’m here Eric,” she said in a mere whisper, knowing he could hear it. “You’ve been looking for me so I’m here.”

Eric was caught in her gaze, unable to look away – her voice was the sweetest sound he could have ever heard and he could tell her scent, even smothered by those of the hundreds of other humans was still mouth watering. But he caught several alarming things in his peripheral. Vampires, even vampires working for him, were now very interested in the scene unfolding in front of them. What was she thinking coming here like this? His eyes flitted past her to the female vampire at the bottom of the stairs and to the two others lingering nearby curiously.  He flashed his fangs at them meaningfully at the same time his hand wrapped around Sookie’s arm and started steering her away.

She did not fight him; she simply turned and let him lead her up the stairway onto the second floor. Eric kept her back pressed to his chest, hands firmly locked around her upper arms. The people on the second landing were too busy to notice them and Eric simply led them to the next set of stairs onto the management floor. They said nothing to each other on the way and every other vampire who walked past them did well by ignoring them. Eric saw the door to the staff room opened ajar – he steered her that way, knowing it to be empty, the moment they were inside he let go of her arms and turned to shut the door.

The room was immersed in darkness and Sookie turned around in confusion. She batted her eyes when light was switched on and her eyes found Eric by the door with his hand on the switch – his eyes on her. She drew in a sharp breath and swallowed.

The vampire started to pace, tearing his eyes away from her – Sookie followed him, his anxiety bleeding onto her – she could feel his tension and she closed her eyes to steady herself.

“I know you’re angry,” she said when he still remained quiet. He snapped his eyes at her briefly as he continued moving like a caged lion. “I would be too if I were you…”

“I’m so glad to have your sympathy and understanding,” he hissed at her.

Sookie knew he was angry and she couldn’t blame him. She couldn’t help but he surprised either. She didn’t expect to have such an effect on the Viking 50 years later. He had lived over a thousand; certainly she should have been nothing but a footnote to him? She winced internally as she watched while Eric didn’t seem to know what to do with himself – he’d wanted to see her and now he seemed torn between attacking her and fleeing. Tired of his pacing she ran her tongue between her lips and took a tentative step forward.

“It was a life fruit.” She decided to start with the truth.

Eric stopped, his eyes focusing on her again, his brow furrowing. He stood still and just watched her. Sookie, sighed, happy to have finally gotten him to stop and took another step closer, clasping her hands in front of her.

“It wasn’t meant to happen,” she continued. “But around the time Addy was six, we’d been living in a farm in Texas.”

Eric rolled his eyes impatiently and turned away from her. He knew, he knew her husband had been a farm animal veterinarian and he’d talked her into moving with him, following him around to sweep up horse shit or something like that.

“Ryan had driven to another farm up north, there’d been a bad storm and some of the animals were pretty shaken up…” she paused as Eric resumed his pacing, though he wasn’t as frantic now. She could tell he didn’t like hearing about her life without him, but there was no remedy for that now.

“Addy and I stayed home waiting for him. It was late and he called saying he’d be stuck there until the next day. Addy had been playing outside on the swing…” Sookie’s eyes grew distant as the memory of that day returned to her and she swallowed. “I heard her screaming.” Eric stopped pacing, his eyes drawn to her, taking in the haunted look in her eyes. “I dropped the phone and I ran outside. There was… a vampire feeding on my 6-year-old…” her eyes watered up and she batted her eyelashes to rid herself of the moisture.

“I blasted the fucker away from her!” she growled, her hands curling into claws as she remembered. “But I miscalculated.” Here she smiled bitterly, her eyes found Eric’s again. “I was too desperate to get tot Addy, to make sure she was alive. I scooped her up and started running back to the house. He recovered. I’d barely gotten Addy through the threshold when he grabbed my ankle and pulled me back.” Eric took a step towards her but she just continued.

“He would have killed me… but… Claude, he was Claudine’s brother – he came back for me, along with one of his sisters. They saved me – they staked the vampire and saved me. They took me through a portal with them, to Fae,” Sookie took a deep breath. “They grabbed Addy too. They healed us both.”

“Their Queen came to us… Mab… she was a bitch,” she snorted. “She’d tried to keep me there once, that one time I was gone for year?” Eric just blinked, remembering that one year only too well. “She told me I was in debt with her for saving both our lives. She said Addy had to stay in Fae – she tried to convince me she would be safer there,” Sookie looked angry. “The hell she would keep my baby!”

Eric just continued to stare at her, knowing Sookie would never give up her child.

“So I had to offer her something else in return…” she smiled bitterly again. “The Queen would allow me to return and live my life with my human family the way I wanted… only if I was to return when it was over. You see fertile female fairies are hard to come by. It’s why their males started mating with human women… Well… I had to eat the life fruit, which grants me immortality and youth. You can imagine what sorts of problems that posed for me and Ryan.”

Eric batted his eyes as he took one step back, putting together the pieces of the puzzle.

“You had to stay on the move,” he said. “The old tutor at the mental hospital…”

Sookie nodded. “Nancy was a sweet woman – she started getting sick. Her daughter couldn’t afford treatment… It was Ryan’s idea. By then people in our neighborhood believed I was in bed all the time, too sick to come out…” she sighed.

“You stayed with him…” Eric’s voice was hoarse. “Your husband.”

Sookie’s eyes grew sad. “But of course I did! I married him!” she looked away momentarily. “I wouldn’t leave him… or Addy. We just had to get creative to justify an aging man living with a younger woman.” She shrugged. “He said he didn’t mind people thinking him a dirty old man,” she smiled fondly at this. When Eric looked away she scrambled to carry on. “Addy was the only thing I cared about protecting. Fairies wanted her, vampires would want her… I did my best to keep her safe. That meant moving around a lot – when the chance came to make an excuse for Sookie Stackhouse to go away…” Sookie shrugged. ”So there it is… it’s the truth. I didn’t lie to you. I wasn’t meant to look like this…” she gestured at herself almost sadly. “I get to live and watch everyone I love die…” her eyes were swimming with tears again. “Honestly I can’t understand how you people can do it…” she shook her head. “It’s suddenly a lot easier to understand why you’re so cold…”

Eric could only stare back at her. It was a lot to process. She’d been in danger – life threatening danger. Where was he? Why didn’t he feel it? Did he feel it? If he did, why didn’t he come to her? Because he was away, far away…

Eric turned his back to her, striding to the other end of the room. Sookie frowned as she watched him, turning to keep up with him. She didn’t want to see him so disturbed. She never meant to see him so troubled by her again. He was quiet and she could tell he was trying to deal with everything she told him. She stood quietly behind him, waiting. When he finally straightened up and turned back his eyes were blazing like fire and he strode towards her, reaching her in two steps, his hands cupping the sides of her face as he slanted his neck to look in her eyes. Sookie’s eyes widened with surprise and her breath hitched.

“Eric…?” she questioned when all he did was stare at her, blue eyes roaming about her face as though he tried to make sense of a very complex equation. His thumbs brushing feather-soft strokes against her cheeks sent ripples of pleasure through her that startled her.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, getting a hold of herself. This was Eric – her Eric. The one she turned down. She had no right to feel this way with him. That was 50 years ago – there was a world between them now. She nearly choked when she felt his cool forehead touching hers. Her hands slid up his front of their own accord and she brushed the sides of his neck, feeling it when he swallowed thickly. She kept her eyes closed – afraid to open them. His cool, ragged breath against her face was too much. She had to have her own answers quick, before this meeting derailed into something that wasn’t meant to be.

“Why did you come looking for me, Eric?” her voice was small. “After all these years?” when he remained silent she forced herself to open her eyes and she slowly pulled away, letting her hands drop to her sides.

Eric’s eyes had also opened and they bored into hers with an intensity that would have sent others running. She could see him clenching his teeth as he held her gaze.

“I thought you were dying,” was his answer.

Sookie blinked, taking a step back, Eric’s hands dropped as well. “You can still feel me?”

“Barely. It’s faded with the years. Lately it’s been barely there. Now that you’re here, it’s stronger, but fading.”

Eric looked on as Sookie slowly processed what he’d just told her, and it wrenched at him the moment it was clear she realized he would have been able to feel her that night. The night she nearly died – and he hadn’t come…

°°°


	4. Chapter 4

**New Orleans**

She got glimpses of the family all evening – blessed vampire sight. She saw the little girls first – twins, not identical. They were some of the giddiest, prettiest little girls she’d ever seen. They chased after each other and though she could only see them whenever they passed by a window or ventured outside on the porch she could hear them well. They were happy and they played together in their own make-believe world.

She saw the man a couple times, coming out onto the porch with his phone or a cup of whatever he drank to get over his loud children. He looked happy though. What little hair he had left on the sides was dark brown, which explained the darker coloring of the little girls’ hair. She overheard his conversations on the phone – one was about a broken molar, the other about some football game on Sunday, the last had been about a coven meeting. Interesting.

She finally saw Adele Stackhouse – Addy, as she knew she was called. She first appeared on a window on the second floor, holding a toddler to her chest, apparently humming to him, kissing his head as she rocked side to side. She looked a lot like Sookie – though she imagined she looked older than her mother did right now. She had her hair just like Sookie’s and mouth, but nose and eyes from someone else. The baby was obviously a boy – much like his father he had very little hair – but it was a pale blonde, not brown. Adele muttered things onto his little head as she tried to get him to sleep. Then she disappeared.

She showed up again on the first floor, peeling back the curtains and looking straight at her – an inscrutable look in her eyes quickly covered what seemed to be suspicion and recognition. She brusquely drew the curtains closed again.

Tara moved. She could hear the key turning in its lock from across the street. She walked towards the locked gates slowly – watching as Sookie’s daughter hesitated on the porch, pulling her woolen gray coat tighter around herself and watching her warily. Finally she stepped down onto the gravel and made her way towards the gate, stopping a few steps short of the bars separating them. They were silver-bathed – Tara could smell it.

“You’re Tara Thornton,” Adele Burton said blandly.

“She told you about me,” Tara deduced.

“I asked. I saw pictures in a box in the attic once.”

Tara pondered that for a moment. Sookie had kept her in a box.

“She was always sad when she talked about you. So I tried not to ask much,” Adele continued, taking a long look at the vampire before her. “She saved your life.”

Tara blinked, her eyebrows lifting slightly. “No. I saved her life. She just gave me another one.”

Adele shivered, wrapped her hands tighter around her coat. “Did you make it worth it?”

Tara was taken aback. She cocked her head to the side, a smile threatening to spread onto her lips. “I like to think so.”

“Then you should be grateful,” Adele said.

“I am.”

Adele swallowed, taking in the vampire before her, so unlike the girl in the pictures. She looked like her, but different. She tried to picture this woman and her mother growing up together, playing together, having sleepovers, talking about boys. It was strange.

“You have a lovely family,” Tara said after a while since Adele was clearly lost in thought in front of her. “Beautiful girls.”

“Thank you…”

Tara looked at the house behind her another moment, seeing the girls peeking through the curtains. The husband was out on the porch, watching them curiously – when he started to walk down the path towards them, Tara looked back at Adele.

“It’s just what she dreamed. I’m glad Sookie got everything she wanted.”

“Addy…?” the husband stopped a few steps behind and called hesitatingly.

Adele looked over her shoulder briefly before turning back to the vampire.

“My mother didn’t get everything she wanted,” she said back. “But then again… I hear no one does. Good night, Tara.” She turned back around and walked to her husband.

Chapman Burton looked at Tara a moment longer, curiosity evident in his eyes, before he wrapped an arm around his wife’s back and together they walked back to the house.

Tara watched as they walked up the porch steps and then her eyes flitted to the window where the twins were peeking at her. One turned to the other and whispered into her sister’s ear. Tara couldn’t help the small smile as she started stepping back from the gate. Another moment and she vamp sped away, making the little girls gasp in awe.

  
  


**Shreveport**

He watched as she ran her fingers over the back of his high chair upon the dais – the  _ throne _ as it was. She walked around it slowly, touching the fur, almost caressing it, with a mysterious smile on her lips. He took his time silently watching her, almost skulking in the darkness like a stalker. From behind the stairs he could see her perfectly without her knowing it.

They’d made love on that chair. He wondered if that was what she was remembering. Was that why she was smiling?

She’d been mischievous that night, and playful and carefree. There were none of the worried lines on her forehead, no hesitancy in her eyes. She had just been there with him. She’d touched him and kissed him and caressed him with a gleeful spark in her eyes. She’d learned a new trick she wanted to try. He’d wanted to devour her when he’d seen her taking him in her mouth. And he did. She’d said she couldn’t move when they were done and she’d giggled happily while slumping contentedly into his arms. He’d never seen her so free. But soon after that the changes started to come – and the worry lines appeared and he could feel she wasn’t wholly there anymore. And that was why they needed to talk now.

They’d been interrupted earlier. The envoys had required another brief meeting before they retired for the night. More reassurance, more politics – he would have to be on his guard. He needed to leave Louisiana quickly, but not without a quick visit to the King. He wouldn’t draw attention to Sookie’s family. They’d worked hard to stay off the radar and he wouldn’t ruin it for them – for Sookie.

But he couldn’t just walk away from her now. She was here and she was real and she wasn’t dying. She wasn’t meant to be immortal, but she was. And she’d still chosen her human family, she stayed beside them despite how painful it could be to watch them go. He needed to understand her – he needed that shadow away from him.

“You know I did hear about it when you left…” Sookie said unexpectedly, revealing she was aware he was standing back there. Her voice was quiet and reminiscent. “I was told you were gone to Europe, with no plans to return…” she finished her inspection of the chair and stopped behind it, her hands at its sides, her eyes found his as he moved from behind the wrought iron stairs. “I remember lying awake, wondering if it had been me. Were you that mad at me you could hate a whole country…?” she smiled slightly, her eyes glazing over as she clearly drifted away into the past. “I called Pam and she set me straight,” she looked back at him. “She told me… I was overestimating myself if I thought I could move her maker…” she chuckled.

It was Eric who looked away this time. No matter what he told himself and others he knew he could never deny she’d been the reason behind his decision. Every time he moved there had been a reason, always a pragmatic one – never a mortal little girl from a small town in the middle of nowhere.

“Who told you…?” he chose to ask as he stepped closer, walking around the tables between them.

“Bill…” Sookie said, her eyes dropping to the floor as she continued to pick at the sides of the chair absently.

Eric paused. Compton would – he was always looking for an opportunity to take the stage again.

“Why would he do that?” he asked sarcastically, his voice still low and smooth.

Sookie eyed him knowingly, tilting her head. “You’d have to ask him… but I heard he’s dead.”

“You don’t sound too broken up about it.” Eric couldn’t hide his surprise.

Sookie walked around the throne again and sat down upon it, leaning back calmly as though she did it every night. Eric narrowed his eyes when she crossed one leg over the other with a smile.

“It is amazing what a few years detoxing from all that vampire blood will do to you…” her eyes flickered slightly and her lips pulled into a little scowl before she schooled her features. “I do not hate him… anymore…” she added, her eyes flitting to his briefly. “But all the fond memories I thought I had have been taken into a new light.” Eric looked at her curiously and she shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about Bill. However I do have a related question.” When Eric remained silent she took a deep breath, he could see it was a difficult one for her. “Is Jessica alive? Or did she die in the takeover?”

Eric blinked, momentarily thrown back. Until he remembered the reason Jessica was made vampire was Sookie. “She still lives…” he said gently. “He had sent her on an errand across the country. She was in New York when it happened. She felt it and returned. The new King spared her since she was virtually alone and meaningless… but he banned her from his Kingdom. She cannot set foot in Louisiana.” When she looked concerned he elaborated. “She’s aligned herself with Isobel… who’s Queen of Texas now. She’s in good hands.”

Sookie smiled and heaved a breath of relief. “Isobel… I remember her… Godric’s Sheriff…” Eric nodded. “She was kind… you’re right she is good hands…”

Sookie fell silent, her eyes on the floor as she seemed to be pondering something. Eric watched her quietly until he could no longer.

“I would have come to you if I had felt your fear…”

“Eric you wouldn’t have made it in time,” Sookie leaned forward in the chair, her eyes full of sympathy. “You couldn’t have saved me.”

Eric couldn’t look at her so he didn’t. “I could have if I’d…”

“Don’t do this to yourself…”

He heard it when she stood and he finally looked at her, as she stepped off the dais and walked towards him. There was no blame, not hurt, no anger in her eyes. “It wasn’t your job to save me. It was no one’s job.” She stopped right in front of him, forcing him to look at her. “I confess at the time I wondered but…” she shook her head. “You’re here and now I know that wasn’t the case.”

“That was why you never thought I’d come for you.” He concluded immediately.

Sookie nodded. “Yes…” she smiled apologetically. “I didn’t think you would… I just thought… living for as long as you have… surely the short time we were together would seem like nothing to you in no time…” she looked down at the floor, looking truly uncomfortable for the first time.

“Many times I wished that were true…” Eric confessed, his voice nearly inaudible.

Sookie looked up, surprised - and sadness clouded her eyes. “I’m sorry…”

“What are you sorry for?” he asked.

Sookie batted her eyes as they dropped to his chest – she seemed to be weighing her words carefully. “I’m sorry I’ve caused you pain…” she shrugged weakly then. “I don’t know that I could have done it differently. I was a 26 year old human girl…” she chuckled. “Maybe if we’d met later… like… right now…” her eyes glistened with mirth. “Would you be interested in an old Granny?”

“You’re not old…” Eric pointed out the obvious. Her proximity was messing with his head.

Sookie’s smile became a little crooked, in that way that was always so endearing. “No but… if I’d never met you I probably would be…” she quickly added. “I’m not saying I would have preferred that…”

Eric took a deep unnecessary breath and stepped away from her – he needed to put some space between them. “Why did Bill never go to you when you were in danger?” he asked suddenly.

“I never asked him. I never saw him after that attack. He did try to contact me later but I managed to evade him.” Sookie, realizing he needed the distance, moved along behind a table and started looking around at how changed the place was. “Later I found out the vampire attack had been a plot…” she could feel Eric pausing behind her and she continued. “You see Mab was a separatist. She wanted faeries locked away behind portals. But there were other factions.” She turned to look back at Eric who was frowning. “I was a sort of political prize for her. Turns out I descended from her rival, a rival who was much more in favor of the fairies slowly returning to this world… which used to be their natural home before you guys…” she gestured unnecessarily. “You know…” she sighed. “She plotted to have me and my daughter attacked to get me back to Fae and imprison me there or… to get a deal with me of course. Which she did. I was bound to her… I would have had returned by now and had a fairy litter.”

“Would have?” Eric asked.

“Well she’s dead now,” she didn’t look sorry about it either. “There was a war… she lost.”

Eric was the one to close the distance between them so. “So you’re free. You’re not bound by any contract, you’re not promised to some fairy as a breeder?”

“No,” Sookie said proudly, lifting her chin. “I am not bound to anyone. I am free.” Her smile faltered when he continued to look at her intensely, his blue eyes boring into her, a million thoughts seemed to be going through them. His proximity was tempting – she found herself leaning closer to him as the seconds dragged by.

But Eric surprised her by suddenly turning away from her completely.

“Well this is certainly unexpected…” when he was a safe distance away he turned to face her. “Not what I expected to find when I returned…”

“Would you have preferred to have found me on my death bed?” she asked, genuinely curious.

Eric’s eyes flickered, and dropped somewhere below her neck. “There is no scenario imaginable I would have preferred Sookie.”

He let the weight of those words fall between them and Sookie heaved a deep sigh in response. Theirs was a really impossible story. Well, it certainly had been one. But now, whatever they were, it wasn’t simple. She looked up at him again, while his eyes were still somewhere else, thoughts still running a mile a minute behind them.

“I should go…” she took one tentative step and Eric looked uncertain. He looked torn between asking her to stay and nodding. She smiled. “It’s been a big night for us both… But I would love to see you again… hear what you’ve been up to these last 50 years…” she tilted her head to the side. “Unless of course you don’t want to see me again…”

“I do want to see you…” he said hastily and swallowed.

Sookie smiled brightly, hope fluttered in her chest. “Then we will see each other again.”

“Not here,” he said quickly. “You shouldn’t have come here tonight…”

“I can take care of myself,” Sookie interrupted him with a nearly condescending smile, and there was a confidence there that before, when she was young Sookie, had been pure naïve petulance. Eric looked at her curiously and she smiled mysteriously. “But I agree this isn’t ideal…” she looked around herself. “Memories aside, of course.”

“Where?” Eric asked, almost disgusted at the eagerness in his voice. “When?”

“My old house in Bon Temps?” her eyes sparkled with the idea. “It is abandoned now… I can meet you there tomorrow at sundown…”

“I will be there.”

Sookie sighed with relief and nodded. “Until tomorrow then.” She started walking away.

“You should know… Tara is here too…” Eric said after a beat. Sookie halted abruptly, but didn’t turn around. “Should I tell her you would like to see her?”

Sookie looked over her shoulder. “Tara is always welcome…” she offered him a tiny smile. “But if she decides not to see me… that is alright too.”

Eric watched as she walked past the door. He waited another beat before he strode after her. The dull hum in the bond had dissipated as soon as she crossed his threshold and his fangs dropped down.

The second he stepped outside he was faced with the empty night outside and the nearly deserted parking lot. Sookie was nowhere to be seen.

  
  


**Bon Temps**

The dried leaves danced in a whirlwind beneath her dangling bare feet on the ground. Sookie sat on the swing outside the farmhouse – it had been a recent addition. Well as recent as 20 years. She held onto the chains and leaned back to gain momentum as she flexed her knees accordingly. She gazed at the old house. In the grey light of a bleak, dying day, it looked ominous and sad. A sharp gust of wind rattled the windows. Tree leaves battered themselves against the side of the house. She could see several misplaced shingles, two broken window panes – the screen door from the kitchen was hanging off and torn up. The porch was covered in dry leaves and Gran’s old swing had been replaced by something that once had been more modern but that now was aging and broken as that one had been.

Jason had lived in that house. They had decided someone should, and their parents’ house just didn’t compare. He’d had three sons – all of whom had grown up, gotten married and left Louisiana for good. She’d last seen them when Jason died. His eldest son Corbett had taken him to live with him and his wife and children when he got sick. They lived in Vegas. They had a small family reunion around his bed. She’d gotten to talk to her brother just before he passed. The house had been uninhabited for 5 years and it already felt like a haunted place.

Sookie sighed and stopped the swing, pushing off onto her feet. She swiped her sandals from the ground and started walking towards the back; the cutting wind ruffled the hem of her blue sundress, tickling her thighs as it did so. Her hair whipped about her face so that she had to tug at her strands to remove them from her eyes. She walked around the property to inspect what had changed. Not much – her brother had been a man of simple tastes. Just as she felt the sun going down she walked back to the house, reached for the old hose still hooked to the garden tap and washed off her feet of all the dirt. Sitting on the porch step she slid on her sandals and watched as night came and waited.

It was Tara who she saw walking across the overgrowth where once there had been gravel. She drew in a sharp breath, her hands grasping onto the creaking wood of the porch step as she leaned forward and stopped.

Her best friend stopped a certain distance as well, watching her back with dark eyes and a stoic expression. In silence they measured each other – one looking for changes in the other, and finding none outwardly. If anything Sookie looked only a bit older than Tara remembered, as six years had passed before she’d been force fed the life fruit.

Sookie moved first, standing from the step slowly, giving her friend time to leave if she wanted. But Tara remained where she was and when Sookie took a step forward, so did she. They walked until they were directly in front of each other in the growing darkness – the wind swept past them, corn and ebony colored hair flying around their faces.

“I asked Eric to let me come first,” Tara explained. Sookie nodded silently and waited. Tara’s eyes roamed about her, taking in her appearance closely. “You look old.”

There was a pause in which both stared, Sookie blinked in confusion. Finally, as the wind seemed to settle about them both women smiled, showing teeth.

“I’ve always fantasized about telling you this.” Tara’s voice was that of the old Tara her friend remembered, joyful, playful, and young.

“I’m happy you came, Tara.”

Tara looked over her friend’s head at the decaying house, sadness flashed across her eyes. “Who does it belong to now?”

Sookie looked over her shoulder – the house looked even less inviting now that it was fully dark. “It belongs to my nephews. They are less attached to it than Jason and I were.” She looked back at Tara with a sad smile.

Tara’s eyes flickered at the mention of her brother, and her eyes dropped momentarily. “How did he…”

“Heart disease,” Sookie offered when she couldn’t finish. “He passed in his sleep,” she smiled. “The night before we sat around his bed and talked about the old times. We talked about you… and Lafayette.”

Tara frowned now. “You avoided Lafayette… you didn’t tell him about your… situation.”

Sookie shook her head sadly. “I couldn’t bring any more of my troubles to Lafayette.” She took a step back, and facing Tara, she angled her body towards her house, cocking her head inquisitively. “Would you like to go inside?”

Tara’s eyes flitted to the house again and she nodded. They walked side by side in silence. Lafayette’s and Sookie’s friendship had been put under exacerbating amounts of stress after both played a decisive part in Tara’s turning. When Tara refused to forgive either of them the pain from losing her drew them apart. When Sookie’s situation once again changed drastically she decided she would not burden Lafayette with it.

They stepped into the dark house, dried leaves and dirt crackling beneath their feet. Sookie found the switch, and light in the foyer flickered on, weakly, nearly extinguishing itself before it settled into an orange glow – a faint hum emanated from the old bulb. Furniture was mostly gone, and whatever had been left behind was newer than what they’d known. They went on a quiet inspection of every room. Some old, moth-eaten, dusty curtains still hang from the windows in the living room. The kitchen lay bare except for its sink. Eric’s old cubby was entirely taken by old sealed boxes. The bedrooms only held naked bed frames and empty lamp sockets.

They returned to the first floor and stood by the living room windows, overlooking the night outside. The heavy clouds cloaked the moon, making it darker than usual.

“I did see Lafayette…” Sookie said after a long stretch of silence. “…before he died.”

Tara snapped her head back to her, surprised. “When?”

“On his last birthday he came looking for Addy when he saw a reservation on her name to his restaurant. I don’t know how he knew she was named Burton now, but he did. He asked her about me and she told him the same story she told your spy. He asked her if he could visit. Addy told him she would look into it. So she called for me.”

“And you went to him instead,” Tara deduced.

Sookie nodded, looking outside again. “He was a happy man.”

“I know…” Tara looked out as well. “I’m glad he made it. It didn’t seem like anyone in my family was meant for it.” Tara smiled bitterly. “Happiness.”

Sookie returned her sad smile. “Are you happy Tara?”

“In different ways than I thought I wanted to be. But yes, I’m very happy. Being a vampire…” she smiled mysteriously. “It suits me.”

Sookie tiled her head to the side, nodding. “I’m glad.”

Tara looked around the empty room. “It does seem you ended up in a pretty different place than you imagined too.”

Sookie smiled slowly. “You could say that.”

Tara thought carefully about her next words. “Are you ready for what’s next? You made a human family for yourself. You’ll outlive them all.”

Sookie looked down for a moment and looked up with a sad smile. “No of course I’m not ready, are you kidding me?” both chuckled. “But my daughter and grandchildren get to make their own choices. Adele has been given the choice to eat the life fruit and refused it. The time to make that choice will come for the girls and the boy as well.”

“Had you been given a  _ choice _ , would you have eaten it?” Tara raised an eyebrow.

Sookie thought slowly. “I don’t think I would have at that time, no.”

“At that time?” Tara blinked.

Sookie shrugged. “We can never say never. But I know who I was back then – and I  _ would _ have said no.”

Tara and Sookie talked for over an hour – at one point they moved to the porch and shared the broken swing. Tara told Sookie about her travels with Pam, about seeing Rome and the Coliseum, and seeing the African continent for the first time, and joining Eric in Great Britain. Sookie listened to all of it, fascinated. In all her 50 years, she’d never left the country. She’d been too busy with her family and her unusual circumstances. It suddenly occurred to her she could go anywhere she wanted now. For the first time she felt an urge to go to those places, there, sitting and listening to her friend speaking so passionately about her life, or unlife as it were.

It was only when Tara looked away and up, towards the tree line that Sookie realized they’d been talking for so long. She followed her gaze but saw nothing.

Sookie looked back at Tara who nodded at her minimally.

“I will see you again.”

“I would like that.”

They stood. Sookie fidgeted in front of her, uncertain of what would be the proper way to say goodbye. Fifty years ago she would have reached forward for a hug, she wasn’t sure this would be welcome now. To her surprise, it was Tara who made the first move, and pulled her into her arms in a tight embrace. Sookie gasped, stunned for a few seconds before she finally wrapped her arms around Tara.

When they pulled apart, both had tears in their eyes. Salted water and blood. Sookie sniffled and was about to reach out and touch her friend’s bloody tears when she suddenly found herself reaching into empty air as Tara vamp sped away.

Sookie chuckled silently to herself, wiping her tears and walking away from the swing and to the porch steps. She looked back in the direction where Tara had stared at and held her breath when he finally emerged. Eric.

The memory of him was all she’d had for all those years. Now here he was – the same as he had always been. Their eyes locked together and neither said anything until he was directly in front of the porch steps, looking up at her. They regarded each other quietly. The vampire in black, the lady in blue – they painted a perfect picture of some obscure fairy tale, completed by their desolate surroundings.

“How long are you staying in Louisiana?” she asked after a long moment of silence.

Eric blinked, looking at the house in ruins behind her and back. “I feel like I’ve been here too long. I should go within a week… to avoid political entanglements.”

Sookie wasn’t exactly surprised her heart lurched at hearing that – it actually caused her to smile a little. Well, what would you know? Eric Northman still held the strings to her heart.

“Why did you want to meet here?” he asked when she remained quiet a bit too long.

Sookie looked over her shoulder, at the house that had once been her everything. She looked back at him with a little smile. “I’m afraid I didn’t have better to offer. I don’t live here anymore.”

Eric narrowed his eyes curiously. He didn’t think she meant just Louisiana.

“How could it be… it would mean your daughter wouldn’t have seen you in years.”

“Fairies have lived across many different realms. The one where I was first abducted to has been destroyed. I was with my ancestors, the ones who defeated her. They chose a world not so different from this one.”

Sookie watched as Eric processed this information. They still remained in their original positions. She at the top of the steps, him at the bottom.

“I wouldn’t have been able to feel you. I didn’t when you left before.”

“I was merely human then, now I’m… more.”

“Why would you choose to live away from her?” Eric asked, genuinely confused.

“For her protection,” Sookie answered simply and stepped off the porch. She stopped next to him so that he had to turn to face her again. She smiled mysteriously and reached down to grasp his hand, unsurprised at the fluttering in her stomach as she did so.

Eric watched enthralled as she held his hand in both of hers and traced his knuckles and the large veins with her thumb. Her soft hands were warm against his cold one and he noticed the way her breathing changed, the way her heart beat a little faster. He closed his eyes and breathed her in, relieved to see he wasn’t the only one still affected. Her scent was still the same, whatever changes she’d gone through after consuming this life fruit she spoke about, it didn’t alter it, it didn’t make her overwhelming – he was relieved by it. He opened his eyes when she squeezed his hand and held it between them. Her soft, mysterious smile still in place she started stepping backwards, tugging him along with him.

“Come… I want to show you something.”

It became obvious to him where they were going as they clambered past the knocked down walls of the cemetery and among the old gravestones. He didn’t know what she wanted him to see at Compton’s, but he followed her patiently, allowing her to tug him along by his hand.

When they made it past the cemetery and happened upon the hill where Compton’s manor had been, he stopped. Sookie felt herself being tugged back when she tried to proceed. She looked over her shoulder, at his surprised expression.

There was nothing left where Bill’s house used to be – there were only charred ruins, even the grass around it was blackened and dead. Eric hadn’t been here since before the takeover. He stared at the site of something terrible.

“Why did they burn it down?”

“They didn’t,” Sookie answered, letting go of his hand to saunter ahead by herself. “I did…” she threw over her shoulder before she continued.

Eric stared at her retreating form, even more curious than before. There was a nearly giddy gait to her walk. He followed her, his eyes taking in the ruins again. It had been burned almost completely. When he was close enough that he could smell it, he knew immediately she hadn’t used gasoline or any other human method. He looked over his shoulder now, since Sookie had stopped a few steps behind him. Her eyes stared into what she’d done – her eyes were hard and full of shadows. There was a story there he didn’t know.

“I told you Bill tried to contact me after my incident with the fairies. I told you I evaded him and that he didn’t come for me the night of the attack.” Her eyes dropped to his at last. “I don’t know why he didn’t come then. But later, when he tried to contact me, Ryan was away helping other farmers. I’d stayed with Ryan’s friends – and told them to refuse Bill entry.”

She sighed and stepped closer to the ruins, coming to stand beside him. “As all that vampire blood started… wearing off… I had to reevaluate a lot of my life from the moment I met Bill… and a lot of it… well a lot of it scared me.  _ I _ scared myself,” she shook her head as she continued to stare forward unseeingly.

“I’m not saying I think my feelings for him weren’t real… but my blind devotion to him, my blind belief? My overlooking all the things he’d done to me?” she shook her head again. “He manipulated me so thoroughly… I would never have been free of him if…” she looked over at Eric. “If you hadn’t… stepped in, I guess. If you’d never looked at me as anything more than a mouthy waitress who one of your underlings took an interest in…” she smiled sadly. She wouldn’t speak of the details, of all the times Bill blamed her for his woes as a way to manipulate her, or the near-draining, the abuse, and the lies. The beating, how could she ever have forgiven him  _ that _ ? She shook her head yet again.

Eric watched her, unaware of her inner monologue, but very aware that whatever was going through her mind, tugged deeply at her heart. She’d been thoroughly hurt by Bill Compton – what was left of his house surely proved it. He’d go around the world and help her burn every property Compton had ever owned just to see the look of deep satisfaction in her face again. It was so strong he could actually feel it thrumming through their frail bond. It had been something that had given her extreme pleasure – and she was sharing it – with him.

Eric reached up to run his fingers through her hair, startling her from her reminiscing daze. She looked up at him with a smile. He smiled back, his thumb brushing against her chin.

“Should we go back?” she asked. “Even my old house is better than the sight of this…” she nodded at the burnt building with a scowl.

They returned to the old farmhouse and as Sookie climbed the porch steps, Eric grasped her hand gently to stop her. She did and turned to look at him inquisitively.

“You can teleport.”

Sookie smirked slightly. “Noticed that, did you?”

“The bond noticed… last night, where did you go to?”

“Home.”

“With them…”

Sookie nodded and grasped his hand in hers again. “I can teleport, I can project my thoughts into people’s minds as well as read them now. I can heal certain injuries with my light.” She counted as she led the way to the swing. “I can cloak myself from your kind…” she added mysteriously when she stopped in front of it.

Eric raised a curious eyebrow. “How?”

Sookie looked mischievous as she stepped closer. “I can demonstrate…” she placed both palms of her hands against his and lifted them level with her head. “Can you see me now?” Eric nodded. “Can you scent me?” another nod. “Can you feel me?” she drummed her fingers on the palms of his hands. Another nod. “Now you can’t…”

It happened within seconds. As a vampire, Eric was used to speed – his eyes were fast enough that he could determine the direction another vampire had sped to. But this was different. There was a visible, audible hum, like a television screen suddenly losing its frequency. The air vibrated and heated, something he probably wouldn’t have been able to feel were he human. Sookie faded within his eyesight and her lovely scent was gone, the brush of her fingers against his palms were gone, and the air in front of him was empty. Yet, the bond told him she was there, she hadn’t moved at all. Eric frowned and pawed at the air in front of him in awe. Her titillating laughter rang in the air, but he couldn’t tell where it came from.

“Come back…” he said.

“I didn’t go anywhere.”

He turned around to find her standing behind him with a gleeful smile. He all but rolled his eyes at her.

“So you’ve learned a few new tricks…”

“Tricks?” Sookie frowned with mock insult. “These are a fairy’s survival weapons, Eric. How do you think my ancestors managed to share the earth with creatures like yourself?”

“They apparently didn’t manage for long.” He pointed out.

Sookie nodded. “They got cocky.”

“So this is why you seemed so sure you were safe last night.”

Another nod. “I could have been there without any of them knowing it. But I needed to be seen, to be heard…  _ smelled _ ,” she smirked. “So you would know I was around.”

“Well… the bond alerted me first.”

“Of course…” Sookie nodded. “I wasn’t counting on that.”

Eric watched her carefully. “Does it displease you? That I can still feel you?”

Sookie shook her head quickly to reassure him. “No. It doesn’t. It was just… unexpected.”

When Eric guessed at the expression in her eyes he decided it was time for some sincerity of his own. “I did want to avoid feeling you, especially after you were with  _ him _ . So yes, I had to go very far.”

Sookie looked disconcerted. “I never… I never thought about what that must have been like for you…”

Eric decided there was no point holding onto that anger. Now that they were, now that they were talking – he had to know more, regardless that it all meant she’d had to leave him.

“Why him? What was it about him that made you choose him?”

Sookie looked surprised by his question for a moment. Then, she moved to sit down on the swing again. “He had… the nicest thoughts of anyone I’d ever met.” When Eric looked at her with a frown she explained. “He was calm, he wasn’t like most people. Maybe because he handled animals all his life. He was kind, he was caring, tolerant of everyone. Blocking him out wasn’t hard.” She paused, not wanting to upset him, but Eric nodded for her to go on. “He was a breath of fresh air compared to the kind of people I’d grown up around,” she chuckled. “He was always around animals, and animals don’t think mean things at you – with him things were peaceful. He was a really, really good man – a good father. And he stood by me through all the troubles being what I am caused him.” She smiled fondly, thinking about him. “He was my normalcy.”

Eric nodded, looking away momentarily. “You were happy then.”

Sookie nodded. “Of course.” She smiled as she remembered everything. “It wasn’t what I’d planned… but it was good.”

“What  _ had _ you planned?” Eric asked curiously.

Sookie hesitated. He was still standing in front of her, closer to the banister than the swing. She weighed her next words carefully.

“What I had  _ dreamed _ very foolishly… what I wished I could have had was a human you… to have had a family with you, to have grown old with you. I often thought about those days you were amnesiac – how perfect they were, how simple. If life could have been like that every day for the rest of our lives?” she shook her head slowly, a sad smile on her face. “That would have been perfect.”

Eric tensed momentarily – his anger threatening to return. But before he could formulate even a thought about how unfair she was to have wanted him to be something else she was in front of him, hands cradling the sides of his face, coaxing him into slanting his head towards her.

“I was young, Eric, I was so afraid… Don’t hold my humanity against me… You’ve lived so much, you have to understand… it doesn’t matter… time doesn’t matter anymore. Just what we feel… if it’s real…”

She had closed her eyes, her voice was like a plea and it tugged at him painfully. He could feel her breathing him in, her heart beating so fast. His hands grabbed at hers but he didn’t push her away, he held them in his firm grip as he himself closed his eyes and inhaled her.

“I wanted you to have remembered the man in me as well…”

Sookie sobbed against him, freeing her hands to cradle the back of his head and pull his lips down to hers. “I know, I know…” she breathed between feather-light kisses.

Eric frowned into the kiss, his own hands moving to hold her, one around the back of her neck, the other pulling roughly at her waist so he could feel the whole of her pressed against him. The taste of her exploded in his tongue and he wanted to consume her and her him. The memory of what they’d had returned to every cell in their bodies and they wanted more. They kissed and pawed at each other desperately, until Sookie had to pull away to breathe, dropping her head to his chest, grasping at the sides of his jacket to steady herself.

“Come with me…” Eric said into her hair.

“Where?” Sookie asked breathlessly.

“To my home. Be with me, Sookie. We can be together now. There’s nothing stopping us – time is standing still for us both. I can protect your family, I can mourn them with you, we can walk the earth together for all time.”

“Oh Eric they’ll never let us be together…” Sookie whispered, still holding onto him.

“Who?”

Sookie chuckled bitterly. “Your world, my world… _ this _ world…” She pulled away slightly to look into his eyes, cradling his face gently between her hands again. “You know they’ll keep coming at us like they always have.”

Eric nodded, a fierce look in his eyes. “I’m asking you to let me show you why I’ve survived over one thousand years… I’m asking you to survive it longer with me.”

Sookie stared into his eyes disbelievingly, her heart hammering inside her chest. Time which indeed stood still for her now seemed to go a mile a minute while they stood there in her old porch, while she thought of all the ways in which she wanted to say  _ yes _ .

 


	5. Chapter 5

**New Orleans**

Adele Burton leaned over her sink to peer out the window onto the patio outside. Rory and Jenny were giggling and fussing around their grandmother, sticking little flowers into her long blonde hair. Sookie patiently allowed them and thanked them, hugging each of them and kissing their cheeks before letting them run off to go and fetch more flowers.

She sighed and sagged, propping one of her hands on the marble of the sink and using another to massage the back of her neck.

“Are you alright?”

Cynthia’s musical, soft voice surprised her and she looked over her shoulder with a start. She relaxed and nodded with an easy smile. Why hadn’t she realized who Cynthia was before? She was so clearly  _ other _ . The children had taken to her and her mother seemed to trust her. So perhaps she could too.

“I am.”

“You look tense,” Cynthia said coming to stop beside her and briefly glanced outside before looking back at her with a knowing smile. “You worry for her.”

“I just lack her optimism,” Adele shrugged and glanced outside again. Jenny was now tickling Sookie’s face and nose with a newfound dandelion and Sookie threatened to eat it, snapping her jaw abruptly, making the little girl squeal and then laugh when her grandmother swept her into her lap and hugged and kissed her repeatedly. “She looks so happy.”

“She is very happy,” Cynthia nodded. “But you don’t believe she has reason to be,” she guessed accurately.

Adele sighed again, cocking her head to the side. “Part of me wishes she wouldn’t come back. That she’d stay safe.”

“And miss all of this?” Cynthia asked surprised, gesturing at the scene unfolding outside. “She fought  _ so hard _ to be here, Addy. You should take joy in the fact she can.”

“I made a different choice. I…  _ we _ are a liability to her.” Adele reminded her.

“That is not how she sees it. I promise you,” Cynthia wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “And  _ I _ am here to protect you all.”

Adele smiled, her eyes flitting about as she thought about it. “It’s a strange concept to get used to.”

Cynthia grinned. “You have time.” She then batted her eyes and looked outside through the window, at the sky. “It will be night time soon…”

Adele blinked and snapped out of her daze nodding. “I’ll go get Chap…” she turned away, leaving Cynthia alone in the kitchen.

 

Outside Sookie was staring at the sky as well, while her sweet granddaughters ran in circles around her chasing one another to see who would get to put the last little flower in her hair. She stood up slowly, glancing at the open sliding doors just as Cynthia walked out. Both women nodded knowingly at each other.

“What did he say?” Sookie asked softy.

Cynthia stepped closer and reached into her pocket, producing a long, but thin golden dagger. Sookie roused an eyebrow curiously before taking it into her hand – running her fingers over its shiny blade. “Not made of silver…”

“Or iron…” Cynthia added.

Sookie looked at the fairy with a smirk. “Yes, very thoughtful of him.”

“I assume this answers your question?” Cynthia prodded.

Sookie nodded slowly, still admiring the meaningful little blade. “Yes, thank you.” She then looked up at the fairy. “Is it safe for you to stay?”

Cynthia looked smug. “Are you kidding me?”

Sookie grinned. “Very well.”

“Gran! Gran! The sun is going down!” Rory leaped around her, tugging her skirt excitedly. “Are they here yet?”

Sookie chuckled, running her fingers through her granddaughter’s long, sleek hair. “Not yet sweetie. But we should go out front now. Come. Come now Jenny!” she stretched her hand to the other girl.

As Sookie led the girls to the front yard through the side of the house, Cynthia followed, carrying baby Peter who had just woken up and looked around him still a bit groggy. The girls went silent and slowed down at the sight of so many strangers on their lawn.

A large group gathered facing west, forming a ring on a patch of the lawn that had been cleared off. They watched curiously as three of them, led by Chap, laid out large, round, and polished stones in a circle formation upon the dirt, which had been sprinkled with some white, powdery substance.

“What are they doing, Granny?” Jenny asked in a whisper.

“They’re creating a ward, sweetie,” Sookie replied calmly as she continued to lead them.

“Against vampires?” Rory asked.

“Yes.” Then Sookie looked down at each of them with a kind smile. “But not all vampires.”

The members of Chapman’s coven were six, two men, four women. All of them looked up at their approach and Chap smiled reassuringly at his little girls, sensing their hesitation, faced with so many strange people around them. He stood from his crouching position and nodded at his companions.

Adele was standing back with her arms folded across her middle as she watched them and she moved to take Peter from Cynthia when she approached. Sookie and the girls came to stand next to her as well.

“This is really fascinating,” said Cynthia. “I have never seen witches at work.”

“But I thought fairies liked magic too!” Jenny looked up at her.

“Fairies  _ are _ magic,” Cynthia corrected her, poking her little nose playfully. “Witches can only manipulate  _ some _ forms of it.” She added as she glanced at the group again. “Some very inventive forms of it too.”

“Why thank you, Cynthia!” Chap said as he walked up to them. “We are ready.”

“Thank you, Chap…” Sookie smiled and she looked at the sky as it continued to grow darker. “It will be soon.”

When night fell most of the group had gotten better acquainted together. Two of the witches were hunkered down explaining things to Rory and Jenny while the others gathered around Chap and Adele, who held Peter in her arms, his large eyes wide as he took in all the adults around him. Cynthia hovered around the little girls, watching them as they asked the witches question after question.

Sookie stood a little removed from the group, near the front porch, watching them. She felt the chill of the wind rushing past her and she shivered, looking upwards. The sky was fully dark; stars sparkled down at her from between the clouds. Her eyes flickered down to the gate as the dark van pulled up. The whole group stopped what they were doing and looked at her apprehensively. She moved to join them.

Rory and Jenny hurried to their parents who stood side by side facing towards the gate as the two men from the coven hurried over to pull it open. The women hung back outside the circle of dirt with Cynthia. Adele held Peter closer to her and looked at her mother for reassurance as she stepped next to her. Sookie wrapped her arm around her shoulder and smiled.

“That will be them,” she nodded.

Chap wrapped one arm around Addy’s waist and smiled encouragingly at her before looking over at Sookie.

“Then we can get started.”

Sookie nodded and then leaned to press a kiss to her daughter’s temple. Adele nodded at her and Sookie squeezed her shoulder briefly before walking away, towards the gate, just as the two men from the coven managed to get it open and she could see him out on the sidewalk perfectly.

 

Eric was looking straight back at her, blue eyes sparkling in the night. He looked handsome in his black coat. Tara flanked him. After they were given the nod they walked forward onto the lawn. Sookie walked up to meet them halfway and stopped right in front of Eric, smiling welcomingly at the two of them and then nodded at the two coven members, who quickly walked past her to join the others.

Sookie looked up at Eric and smiled at the same time she took a deep steadying breath. Eric stepped closer and reached for her hand, engulfing it in his, slanting his head to look straight into her eyes. She seemed to relax with his touch and she reached up touch his chest briefly.

“Everything has been prepared,” she told him.

Eric nodded, glancing briefly at her family as they watched him. Chap Burton kept an arm around his wife, and one hand on the shoulder of one of his daughters – both little girls stood in front of their parents, gaping at the new strangers curiously. The toddler in Adele’s arms gazed around him, aloof.

“You explained everything to them?” he asked.

“Yes…” Sookie glanced briefly at Tara. “And now I have to explain something to you…” she tugged at his hand, to lead him further away from the group and glanced over her shoulder at Tara, just as Cynthia approached her. The fairy nodded at her and Sookie smiled, focusing her attention on Eric. “Come…”

They stopped underneath a tree at the side of the house, away from the eyes and ears of the others. When Eric gazed back over his shoulder, Sookie guessed at his concern.

“Cynthia can suppress her essence, like many powerful fae can. She’s in no danger with Tara.”

Eric nodded with relief and stepped closer to her yet again, cupping her chin in his hand.

“You haven’t changed your mind?” he asked, apprehension obvious in his eyes.

“No…” Sookie clasped his hand gently and then pulled it up to kiss the inside of his wrist. “I haven’t… and I won’t.”

Eric smiled with relief and leaned down to capture her mouth into a kiss. Sookie delved her hands into his soft hair and indulged him for a moment. Pulling back with a regretful sigh and an apologetic smile.

“I will need your blood for the ward. It will grant you and those who carry your blood access to my family if there ever is any need. Only you, Tara, Pam and other of your bloodline will be allowed in.”

Eric dropped his fangs and moved his wrist upwards without hesitation, but Sookie grasped his arm, halting him. Eric paused, looking at her curiously.

“I will only need a drop… and since we’re on the subject of blood…” she let go of his arm to reach down to her side. She’d tucked the small dagger into the sash of her summer dress. She held it in her hands between them. Eric raised an eyebrow curiously. “It’s a fae blade… made out of gold… this…” she pointed at the engraving near the handle. “Is my family’s sigil…. This belonged to my ancestor… Niall. It’s a ceremonial dagger. Your blood and mine… and you will be considered an ally of my people.”

Eric looked dubious. “Your people?”

“The Brigants…” she specified with a smile. “It means he has granted us his blessing.”

Eric cocked his head to the side curiously. “Do you need it?”

Sookie grinned and shook her head before adding. “It makes me happy to have it.” She raised her palm and unceremoniously prickled it with the dagger. Her blood gushed forth crimson and rich. Her eyes rolled upwards to meet his and he nodded, extending his palm for her. Sookie leaned over and kissed it lovingly before she held it and cut it just enough to let blood out. Their combined blood stained the blade.

Cynthia and Tara were suddenly next to them and the fairy held her palms up, with a silken scarf covering them. Sookie laid the dagger on top of it and Cynthia wrapped it up carefully. Tara looked between them curiously, but made no comment.

“You are a friend of the Brigants now, Mr. Northman,” Cynthia announced. “Do not disappoint us…”

Eric spared her but a glance before looked at Sookie again. “Is it done?”

Sookie nodded with a smile, heaving a sigh of relief. “We can proceed with the warding ceremony now.”

“Mama he’s so tall!” Jenny whispered as they watched Sookie returning with Eric, Tara and Cynthia.

“I know sweetheart…” Adele patted her shoulder, watching them nervously.

Sookie stepped between them and smiled at the little girls first with a wink.

“I want you to meet Eric Northman. He’s our friend.”

“Hi,” the little girls said, gaping at the tall vampire.

Eric looked down at the little girls, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Well hello there.”

“And this is Tara Thornton… she’s also our friend.”

“Hey kiddos!” Tara winked at them.

“We’ve seen pictures of you!” Rory announced. “You used to be human!”

“Like us!” Jenny added.

When Sookie looked curiously at Adele, she shrugged. “They go in the attic all the time, looking through your old stuff.”

Sookie chuckled and nodded, understanding. She then looked at Chap. “We are ready for you, Chap.”

Chap nodded, looking from Sookie to Eric, whom he barely remembered from the night he was glamoured. He gestured towards the circle of dirt surrounded by polished rocks. “In there please, Mr. Northman.”

Eric moved unquestioningly, parting through the witches and stood in the middle of the circle, clasping his hands in front of him, his eyes moving back to Sookie’s who smiled at him. She knew he was doing all of it for her, and her heart thumped wildly in her chest. He took her breath away with his unchanging devotion.

The coven moved into a circle and started whispering in a strange language. Eric watched them passively. Chap stepped past the stones to stand in the circle in front of him, looking up at the much taller man, swallowing nervously as he found himself so immediately close to such an old, intimidating vampire.

One of the women of the coven stood next to them and explained. “Mr. Burton is taking his place of responsibility for this family. You will both give your blood and you vampire must swear protection to Mr. Burton’s wife and children. Then you and those who are of your bloodline become immune to the ward.”

Eric nodded to signal his agreement. The woman then produced a knife and stretched her palm to Chapman first. She prickled his finger and then turned his hand downwards, so a drop of his blood fell into the soil. She then reached for Eric’s hand, and repeated the process.

Sookie and Tara stood silently, side by side watching as the witches proceeded.

“Can you believe this is actually happening?” Tara asked her.

“Can  _ you _ ?” Sookie arched her eyebrows, her eyes still on Eric.

“No… but my life has been one unbelievable thing after the other for the last 50 some years.”

Sookie chuckled. “Ain’t that the truth?”

“Pam’s gonna go nuts, you know?” Tara added with a snort.

Sookie smiled, thinking of Eric’s progeny – wondering how much she would still dislike her.

“It is done,” the female witch announced. “This soil is now protected against all vampires, except for the ones who carry Eric Northman’s blood.”

Chap sighed deeply and looked from his witch friend to Eric. “Well… welcome home then…  _ Dad _ ?”

Rory and Jenny burst into giggles and even Adele chuckled into her hand. Eric raised an eyebrow at the human in front of him, his lips pulling into a smirk. Then he looked over his head at Sookie who was now giggling along with Tara and the others. His smile for her was genuine and she swallowed, a hand clutching at the front of her dress as she admired him, still disbelieving of everything that had just happened and of what they had done.


	6. Chapter 6

**Shreveport**

Sookie descended the steps into the safe room on her bare feet. The carpeted floor felt soft but cool in comparison to the heat outside. She allowed her eyes to grow accustomed to the dim lights as she reached the bottom step. She touched the wall to her left and peered into the room blinking.

Eric lay immobile in the center of his very large bed – just like she had left him hours ago at sunrise.

She smiled and stepped onto the floor, her sandals dangling from her fingers. She moved quietly, to leave them against the wall. To be silent around sleeping people was a habit, and even if a marching band wouldn’t wake a vampire, she still didn’t want to disturb him – especially when it was such a treat to admire him sleeping.

Sookie hiked up the skirt of her dress as she kneeled on the bed and crawled over to sit on her calves next to him. She smiled as her eyes rested on his peaceful face – a dull ache tugged at her chest and she immediately sought for some sort of contact. She reached to grasp at his hand, lying limply at his side. She brought it onto her lap and smoothed her hands over the sharp outlines of his protruding veins. It had been so simple to say goodbye once. Now here she was, thinking about how not touching him was painful. Perhaps because he was so unchanging, it brought home how thoroughly she had been loved by him once and how frightening it had been that she couldn’t be with him, unchanging and forever young like he was.

She’d grasped onto old childhood dreams of family and children and a house with a fence and a lawn and a dog. Simple dreams – simple dreams that didn’t require her to watch herself age and decay while the man she loved survived her to love again.

Sookie tilted her head as her eyes swept over his face again, then ran down to his naked chest – hard and cool like marble, down to his silk covered legs. She smiled, remembering he was naked under those sheets. She’d watched him saunter casually across the dark to get into bed, smirking at her when her eyes trailed down his form. Some things never changed and she was surprised to find she was one of them. This man still had her, body and soul.

 

She moved to lie down next to him, scooting under the sheets and then bringing up his hand to hold it against her chest as she watched him sleep. She closed her eyes a little, and remembered her last moments with her human family, on her daughter’s porch, not so many hours ago. She remembered hugging and kissing each of Addy’s babies and telling them how much she loved them. She remembered Peter smiling at her when she touched his little nose. She remembered Addy hugging her tight and telling her to be careful. She opened her eyes again, staring through Eric now, as she remembered the conditions she had to conform to so she could be here now.

She couldn’t return to her fairy home as many of her people wouldn’t understand. Niall had promised her protection and protection for Addy and her children and had promised no attack would be made against Eric’s clan. But in making her choice she displeased many. Many who hoped she would fulfill her role as fairy royalty and breed for them. Perhaps Niall still secretly hoped she would one day tire of Eric and return home and then wed a full fairy like he wanted her to. She wouldn’t say anything to discourage his hopes. However she found it very difficult to believe she would ever settle for being a fairy-baby making machine.

The thing she would miss the most about this compromise was that traversing between her realm and earth had always made seeing her family easy. It was a blink of an eye solution. Now, to see her daughter and grandbabies, she would have to rely on airplanes like most people. Since Eric was taking her so far away it would take awhile getting used to the distance. But as her eyes focused on his profile again she smiled – a small price to pay. It was their time now. They’d waited enough.

Eric’s eyes blinked open and Sookie lifted her head in surprise – smiling as he rolled his head towards her, his deep blue eyes meeting hers.

“It’s not sundown yet…” she whispered.

Eric took a deep, unnecessary breath in which he breathed her in, his eyelids drooping instantly. “It’s impossible to stay still with you here…”

Sookie smiled, squeezing his hand closer to her chest and dropping her head back to the pillow. “I was bored outside. At least in here I get to stare at you.”

Sookie’s breath hitched with the speed of his movements and in the blink of an eye she found herself pinned underneath him – his smoldering eyes closer than ever before, his cool breath fanning across her face. “We leave tonight…” he reminded her, his thumb stroking across her jaw. “My pilot is waiting and Tara will be there.” Sookie nodded, her eyes widening with surprise. She knew he wanted to leave soon, but not so soon. “And then I promise you, you won’t be bored for a very, very long time…” his eyes dropped to her body as his hands smoothed down her sides.

Sookie smiled, tilting her head to the side – she could feel her skin warming everywhere, underneath his touch and the heat of his gaze. She closed her eyes when she felt him pressing against her center and she was suddenly breathless.

It had been a long time for her – even though she had met many suitors in her realm she hadn’t really had a lasting physical relationship with anyone since her human husband. None of them had ever compared to Eric as a lover and, as though her body remembered it as vividly as her mind, her skin broke into gooseflesh and she could feel herself tremble at the mere brush of his lips against her pulse.

“How long do we have?” she asked breathlessly, her fingers delving into his hair as he kissed a path from the hollow of her throat down to the valley between her breasts.

“Not long enough…” Eric growled as he bunched the fabric of her dress in his hands and hiked up her skirts at the same time he tugged down her top with his teeth. “Never enough…” he breathed before he took a nipple into his mouth.

For hours they made love on that bed. Relentlessly re-mapping each other’s bodies and re-learning how to drag out each other’s pleasure to its fullest. They lost track of time, and, in Sookie’s case, she lost her sense of self after a while, clinging only to the insurmountable pleasure she was feeling as her head floated in a blind haze. She knew she had arms, and with them she clutched around Eric’s shoulders, Eric who was her world, a world that was spinning deliciously fast and diving down into an abyss that looked so inviting and welcome.

When she came to she was lying flat on her stomach and she could feel Eric draped over her back – but she didn’t mind his weight. She moved, feeling every muscle in her body scream but she relished it – it was like being alive in ways she hadn’t been for 50 years. She breathed deeply and smiled when she felt a kiss pressed to her shoulder.

“Thank you…” she breathed, hugging her pillow as she shuddered, her body slowly recovering.

Eric chuckled into her hair and she smiled wider, rolling onto her back, forcing him to pull away slightly. When she could see him she reached up to cradle the side of his face and Eric closed his eyes momentarily, turning to inhale into her palm.

“You haven’t lost your ways…” she teased when he opened his eyes again.

Eric smirked and kissed her palm before dipping down to kiss her. Sookie embraced him as they kissed, her fingers sliding up his neck and to the back of his head, to tug at his hair lightly. He touched his forehead to hers and they stared into each other’s eyes.

“You are too much…” she told him. Eric smiled at her. Sookie was about to tease him when she noticed the expression in his eyes shifting drastically. “Eric? What is it?” she dropped her shields and listened – there were voids – three of them. “What…?”

In the split of a second Eric had risen to his full height and placed himself between her and the stairs. Sookie gasped and pulled the sheets up to her neck as three vampires were suddenly in the room with them – all in black suits, with a strange golden crow pin attached to their lapels. They stood side by side facing Eric, smirking as he growled at them. The one who seemed to be the one in charge cast a perfunctory look towards her, smirking at her and her attempt to hide.

“Mr. Northman… we’re sorry to interrupt,” the one in charge said with a leer.

“I doubt it,” Eric growled. “Speak.”

“The King is impatient Northman. Since you were taking your sweet time to pay him a visit, he decided to drop by himself! Miss Thornton and Miss Ray are already with us. We will give you and your little snack ten minutes to make yourselves presentable.” He paused and smirked. “Don’t waste any more precious time, Northman. You may be a celebrity around here… but the King can find creative ways to punish your lack of reverence.”

With that the three vampires slowly turned to climb the stairs into the house. Sookie let out a deep sigh and looked at Eric worriedly as he turned back to her with a frown.

“Some things never change…” she smiled sheepishly. “I continue to get you into trouble don’t I?”

Eric shook his head. “It’s my fault…”

Sookie scrambled to her feet, dropping the sheets as she did, she came to stand in front of him and touched his chest gently.

“Is he afraid you are here to dethrone him?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go put his mind at ease – so we can go home.” She stood on her toes and kissed his chin gently and then stood back down with a smile. “It will be fine.”

Eric frowned curiously at her and when she tried to take a step back he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer again. “Just how powerful are you now?”

Sookie grinned. “I could give a vampire a run for his money…” she eyed him curiously. “Why… do you  _ want _ to take over Louisiana?”

Eric shook his head and put his finger to her lips, arching his eyebrows before whispering. “Vampires upstairs, my dear… they could hear us.”

Sookie smiled against his finger and waited until he pulled it away. “Well… do you?” she whispered.

“No…” he shook his head vehemently. “I don’t want anything to do with politics.”

“Then let’s go kiss his ass and go home…” she pressed a kiss to his chest this time and pulled away again.

Eric watched with admiration as she sauntered across the room, naked, and picked up a clean dress from her luggage in the corner. His eyes flickered up to the ceiling and he followed the several steps going above his head. The King had brought quite the entourage – he really was afraid of him. He would have left the night before, if Sookie didn’t have family she had needed to say goodbye to. However, he wouldn’t deny her precious hours with them since he was taking her across seas. He just hoped all the emergency precautions they’d taken would be enough.

He sped into his closet and got quickly dressed in his uniform of dark jeans and leather jacket. He walked back into the room and Sookie returned to his side, in an angelical blue dress – her hair still gloriously tousled, and still smelling like sex – which he wasn’t sure was good in a room full of vampires. She looked almost too calm though and he really started to wonder just how much power his little fairy was packing these days.

“Do you remember your conversation with Molly?” he asked her as a precaution.

Sookie nodded. “Yes, Mr. Northman. There’s only one tiny problem!”

“What?”

“I don’t have any bite marks.”

“They’ll have to guess it’s someplace covered,” he said grasping her hand. There was no way he was going to bite her like a lowly fangbanger simply for show. Sookie grinned at him, knowing inside what he was thinking and he shook his head as he started pulling her towards the stairs.

Sookie expanded the reach of her mind and she could tell there were at least 15 vampires in the vicinity. If she removed Eric, Tara and Molly, than there were 12 potentially lethal vampires inside or around Eric’s house.  _ This _ had been, of course, the reason Sookie had always warned Addy about being friends with vampires.

While she would be the first to defend many vampires were good and could be counted on as friends, their world prevented humans, and especially fairy hybrids from trusting them. Their world was one of treachery and deceit and revenge and leverage and they would use the weakest against their stronger opponents – meaning the humans involved with vampires would often pay the price in the battle for dominance or survival.

But in anticipation of a situation like this, she had taken her own precautionary measures, with Molly’s skillful help.

She looked up, snapping out of her own thoughts when Eric squeezed her hand a little harder. She could see the concern in his eyes and it warmed her heart. She smiled at him reassuringly and squeezed his hand back, just before both let go and Eric took one step ahead before they walked into the occupied living room.

The King was sitting on Eric’s favored armchair, which faced the doorway through which they came. He was tall, lean and Native American. Sookie had learned a little about the Monarch previously – she knew his name was Lansa, and the crow totem was his sigil – he wore it as a pendant around his neck as well. His large, dark eyes met hers momentarily before he turned them to Eric with a smile. Sookie glanced sideways to see Tara and Molly standing a little to the back, flanked by the two large vampires who had invaded the safe room earlier. Both women looked at her with some apprehension before they schooled their features.

“So Eric…  _ this _ is what you’ve been shunning me for?” Lansa spoke in a monotonous tone as he waved in Sookie’s direction. “You’ve come all the way from Europe to feed from and fuck a local?” he sneered at Eric and then looked at Sookie. “You must be something special sweetheart!” his eyes narrowed. “Name is Suse, right?”

Sookie nodded vehemently, doing her best impression of the naïve fool she was probably expected to be. She smiled demurely, clasping her hands in front of her.

“Well she does smell quite sweet.”

Eric tensed slightly and looked at the King as he regarded Sookie curiously. Sookie simply stared back at him with a doe-eyed, foolish expression. Finally, the King chuckled and gestured towards the chair closest to him.

“Please, Eric… since I hear you plan to leave my Kingdom in a haste let’s at least talk.”

Eric relaxed minimally before he moved to take his seat, not before leading Sookie to sit on the couch, a little further away from the King and the other vampires. Sookie eyed Tara across the room and her friend tried to say something to her with her eyes – Sookie kept her face a mask of blissful ignorance and turned to watch the Monarch.

“So you come all the way to our quaint little Louisiana, after almost 50 years, stay a couple of weeks, mysteriously hire the services of a computer expert…” the King turned to look at Molly. “And you leave empty handed?” he turned back to Eric. “Well… unless you’re planning to take her…” he gestured at Sookie dismissively and laughed.

“Like I told your envoys, Your Majesty, I merely came to talk to my Manager about some changes and improvements to Fangtasia,” Eric said calmly. “I am sure you will notice increased revenue shortly.”

King Lansa narrowed his eyes. “Right… And… how about your visit to a Mental Hospital in Jackson? Does that have to do with revenue as well?”

“No. That was a personal visit to an old friend.”

The King frowned. “A friend in a  _ mental _ hospital?”

Eric smiled slowly. “It was a very good friend, who might die very soon.”

The King chuckled. “Who would have thought you could be so sentimental…”

“Your Majesty, I apologize for not meeting with you in person, but I thought after my presenting myself at your house in New Orleans upon my arrival, my intentions to remain in your State for a brief period of time were made clear to your assistant.”

“Yes… it was a shame I wasn’t present that evening…” the King stared at Eric for a long moment. “Well but at least I get to see you off!” he grinned.

Sookie relaxed in her seat, understanding whatever peril there was had passed. Vampires and their politics – it was all really annoying.

Another hour of pointless picking and prodding ensued but finally the King was satisfied and moved to leave – giving Eric permission to go as well. He spoke to Molly, telling her there was a position within his staff for her if she wanted. He never addressed Sookie again and that didn’t escape Tara’s notice.

“What did you do to conceal your scent?” Tara asked her when the Royal Entourage was out of the house.

“It’s a trick I’ve learned…” Sookie smiled. “We can suppress it, make it bearable, or make it entirely absent if we choose.”

Tara shook her head. “That would have been useful fifty years ago!”

Sookie chuckled. “It would have yes…” they started walking together, further into the house, now that Eric and Molly were escorting the royal entourage to their cars. “So I take it things are different in Europe? Vampires?”

“Oh yes… a lot less ass kissing…” Tara rolled her eyes. “I don’t see any of us ever living here permanently again. Eric has a very loyal following where he lives – vampires there are older and therefore are less afraid of being challenged.”

“Do you all live together?”

Tara shook her head. “We’ve been staying with Eric for a year. But now that he has you, Pam won’t be worried for him so much.”

Sookie made a face as she thought of Eric’s progeny. “How did she take the news about me?”

Tara chuckled. “There were some expletives. But then she decided she was too happy for Eric to be mad.”

Sookie smiled. “I’m sure we will eventually get along. We have time.”

Two hours later their car pulled up at a private airstrip where Eric’s airplane and pilot were waiting to take them to his current home in England. The King’s visit had ruined their original plans but Eric insisted they took flight tonight, even if it meant having to retreat into caskets in the middle of the journey.

Sookie walked along with Eric, Tara and the crew staff towards the small airplane just waiting for them. A strange feeling took over her as she thought about what she was doing. She stopped walking and looked over her shoulder, to the landscape against the starry night. She could see the tops of the trees against the starry sky and, in the distance, the lights of a city she’d grown accustomed with. This State had been all she’d known in this world. Even during her best years with Ryan and Addy, they had never travelled too far. She’d been to Texas, and Nevada, and California – but she somehow always returned here. When she moved into Niall’s realm, it was to Louisiana she would return every time, to visit her loved ones.

She was moving on in ways she never thought she would – and even as she’d known for years that she would outlive absolutely every human she’d ever loved, it still had never felt as real as it felt now.

“Sookie?”

Sookie whirled back around to see Eric, waiting for her alone – she could see Tara and the crew climbing the steps to get on board, ahead of them. Eric had a fearful look in his eyes and she realized he was afraid she’d changed her mind. She blinked repeatedly as she took a couple steps toward him, trying not to be once again overwhelmed by the reality of her life – and how different it was from what she’d thought it would be so many years earlier.

“I guess I was just saying goodbye.”

Eric looked relieved and he grasped her hand. “You will say goodbye many times to many different things. But you’ll always have me.”

Sookie smiled and nodded. “I know I will.”

“Ready?” Eric smiled.

Sookie nodded vehemently. “As ready as I’ll ever be! Which is anyone’s real state of being at all times, I suppose. No matter how much time you can borrow.”

Eric grinned and nodded. He tucked her into his side and they turned to walk up and into the plane. Fortunately for them, a vampire and a fairy princess, there was plenty of borrowed time to be had – for all eternity if they could manage it.

 

°°°  **THE END** °°°

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
